


Nocturne

by deLioncourts



Category: GOT7
Genre: ALL THE GOOD STUFF, Also kind of a Mafia!AU, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Blood Drinking, Bloodplay, M/M, Markbum, Markjin, Romance, Smut, Vampires, this is a vampire fic after all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-07-25 08:22:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 38,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7525366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deLioncourts/pseuds/deLioncourts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes a taste is all it takes. Sometimes it's not enough. And sometimes it costs you everything...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Oh look a MarkBum Vampire!AU. Something I had seen virtually none of so I figured I'd have a go myself. This is my first wander into kpop fic so please be gentle. I'll adjust the tags as needed but tbh this is fresh and I still haven't the foggiest where it might end up. But nothing triggering but a little violence and vampire blood stuff. Enjoy!

_ The cold gravel dug into Mark’s back as he struggled to lift his head upright, eyes glazing over as he willed his limbs to move. It was fruitless. The poison coursing through his veins tying invisible ropes around his arms and legs, holding him tight against the concrete. He gasped for air, coughing as the blood pooled in his lungs making it harder and harder to breathe. Had he more strength he might have felt it in himself to panic. But as he waded through the fog slowly dragging him under he couldn’t help but feel like it would do him no good.  He had brought this upon himself.  There was no one else to blame.  Death was near and he had run recklessly into it’s open arms like the mess that he was. _

 

_ Through his fading vision he looked up, giving one last desperate plea to the night sky. The moon full and bright subtly shadowed by the shape of a man. Jinyoung. He looked down on Mark’s waning form with a hint of sadness in his eyes. His familiar voice soft but stern as he spoke. Mark tried to take in the last of it’s lilt as his eyes slipped closed. _

 

_ “I tried to warn you that this wouldn’t end well.  You fucking fool.  Are you happy now? Are you ready to die for him?” _

 

_ ~Him. Jaebum’s face flashed against the back of Mark’s mind. The ghost of his fangs prickling the pale expanse of his battered skin. His heart clenched as it slowed. Was Mark ready to die as collateral damage? For the love of a vampire?  _

 

_ As he felt the darkness lay final over him, he knew he wasn’t going to be given a choice... _


	2. First Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to the people who commented on my tiny prologue. It really means alot. I had most of this done so I didn't want to wait too long to get the first bit up. I'm not sure how frequent the updates will be but we'll see. Hope you enjoy it!

To say Mark was nervous was an understatement. He was almost certain he'd done worse things for money. One instance involving a pink wig and a badly installed stripper pole came to mind. Not one of his finer moments. But nothing that quite filled him with the tingling sensation of dread he was currently experiencing. 

 

He'd heard from Yugyeom that Im Corp was recruiting Feeders. For being relatively new to the street life Mark's younger counterpart seemed to always have an ear to the ground and his nose in everyone's business. Thankfully this time it had paid off in a job opportunity and not a near death beating in a back alley like the last time. But in similar fashion the younger had left Mark on his own in another sketchy situation.

 

It certainly wasn't a glamorous prospect. Letting a vampire feed on your blood at will, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and as Mark thought back to the forest of mold growing on the walls of his dingy studio apartment, that's exactly what he was. Desperate.

 

Times had changed after all. A treaty of peace in place for the last few decades that had allowed vampires and humans to coexist on the same plane. Vampires allowed to feed from the willing, but never to take life. In turn the humans were able to maintain an illusion of working normalcy. Like monsters weren’t living just meters beneath their feet. A yin and yang clockwork of night and day. A tightrope walk to maintain balance. One that was sure to snap eventually. But for now all seemed well. Not that there weren’t the odd vamp or two that stepped out of line.  They were by nature creatures run by bloodlust. And sometimes the madness took over. Especially in the fledglings that had been created without a mentor by circumstance. Still even with the treaty, you’d be hard pressed to find many people ready and willing to give themselves over as a human blood bag. It was seen by many humans as black market business dealings. But as precious as live warm human blood was to a vampire, the payout was exponential. And as he’d said, Mark had done worse.

 

The Im Corp Tower stood at the center of Seoul. A countless story building as large and intimidating as the family behind it. The humans manning the conglomerate front as dangerous and savvy as the vampire underground pulling the strings. "A bloodsucking version of The Godfather" Yugyeom had called it. Mark laughed at the time, trying to imagine Marlon Brando with fangs, but as the elevator he stood in lead him further into the underbelly of the building, he found his increasing levels of claustrophobia anything but funny.

 

After a few long suffering moments the elevator came to a stop, opening up into a pristine looking lobby. The lining walls of white reminiscent of an upper class hospital. Sterile. In front of the reception desk stood a brown haired man of about Mark's age. He was donned in a white lab coat with clipboard in hand. Mark's eyes were immediately drawn to the dark black collar encircling his neck, a stark contrast to the warm glow of his skin. It was made of a fine leather that probably cost more than Mark could make in an evening. Two small letters etched in gold sat at the center. "I.C." A reminder of where he worked. To whom he belonged. The thought almost made Mark gag. It wasn't the first time he'd come across a display like this. Vampires, especially ones in as high a position of power as those at Im Corp, loved to brand their humans in the tackiest ways possible. 

 

He approached Mark briskly, taking in his washed out blonde hair and tattered street clothes with a small click of his tongue as if to say "another one from the gutter". He's probably seen many of Mark's kind at this point. Wispy young things begging for a payday. 

 

"And here I thought you might not show. Not that I would blame you. This way please, Mr Tuan. The others have already been processed." The brunette motioned for Mark to follow him down an adjacent hallway and into one of the many rooms lined up for the same purpose. Inside it looked identical to what was found in any basic hospital. Electric run monitors, IV drips, and a simple table lined with paper sheeting. Mark wasn’t sure what he was expecting. Low lighting and stone gargoyles maybe. A dark figure emerging from the shadows in a cape ready to press him into the floor and drain him dry. Yugyeom had always said he’d watched too many horror movies. Now he just felt like the next thing he was going to be told was to turn and cough.

 

“You can have a seat on the table,” the man spoke, looking up from his clipboard and shaking Mark from his thoughts. “All your charts checked out. Bloodwork is clean. Everything is stable. I trust you know how this works?” 

 

“I...I guess so” Mark hated that he had a tendency to stutter his words when he was nervous. Which was normally why he usually chose to keep his mouth shut more often than not.

 

“The sun has set, so it shouldn’t take long for the vampire you’ve been assigned to make their way in. Don’t be so nervous. There are laws in place for a reason. They will arrive and take a little of your blood, enough to sustain them for awhile but not enough to do any sort of damage. Think of it like a blood drive. The vampire you’ve been assigned is very old and very in control so there’s no need to worry about the bloodlust. But we do have staff on hand for any of the vamps who might have a tendency to get out of control.” 

 

He spoke with a clinical tone that did nothing to ease Mark’s heart rate. But he’d seen the armored men pacing the halls, knew that this corporation had been running long enough to be tight on security.  _ Think of the money, you idiot. Think of the money and calm the fuck down. _

 

“Now. I should mention this since this is your first time donating. The Feeding reacts differently on a person by person basis. You may be perfectly fine or you may feel a little sick afterwards. The experience can be, pardon my wording, draining. But you can stay as long as you need to recover and I’ll check back in on you after it’s over alright? They’ll be here shortly.”

 

Mark nodded as he sat himself down on the edge of the table, fiddling with the sleeves of his hoodie as the man left the room. He stared at the clock on the wall watching the hands tick by, every second making him feel more and more like he was going to crawl out of his skin. Then finally as it struck 9:05pm, he heard the sound of the door opening and saw a figure step inside.

 

It,  _ he, _ was definitely not wearing a cape but the sight still knocked the breath from Mark’s lungs. He had been told many times vampires ethereal creatures, but he’d never been in proximity to see one up close. This particular vampire, while not much taller than Mark was far more broad. Pitch black hair swept back neatly and dressed in a sleek tailored suit of similar color. His eyes were dark. Irises the faint red that identified all of his kind. As he strode soundlessly into the room Mark noticed two faint birthmarks above his left eye and a pair of diamond studs adorning each ear. His skin was pale and held the unnatural glow of the undead. Like someone who hadn’t seen the sun in a century, which Mark though stupidly, he probably hadn’t. Still, he was the most beautiful creature Mark had ever seen. And that thought in itself was dangerous. 

 

“I can hear your heart hammering all the way from here.” He spoke with a tone like velvet, the sound wrapping itself delicately in Mark’s ears. “Do try to breathe before it bursts. I’d hate to start my day without breakfast.” He removed his suit jacket and hung it carefully on the chair next to the table Mark was perched on. Trying to will himself to take calming breaths, Mark watched the vampire as he moved languidly and with all the inhuman ease of one his age. He smiled as he stood in front of the table and took in Mark’s lithe form.

 

“Aren’t you a pretty one. Does the trembling little mouse have a name?”  Mark’s eyes shot up at that, the spell of first sight breaking slightly as he looked at the vampire with incredulity. He may have been scared but he still had it in him not to be toyed with. Fear could often times make one more bold.

 

“It’s Mark. And what about the bloodsucking leech? Does  _ it  _ have a name?” The words left his mouth before he’d had a chance to register their severity, immediately looking away and hoping to god his head wasn’t about to be separated from his body.

 

Thankfully his head remained in place as laughter filled the room and reverberated off the walls, the vampire reacting in an entirely different direction than Mark had anticipated.  

 

“Ah, I see I’ve caught a live one today. Good. I find the blood tastes sweeter when there’s spirit behind it.” The vampire reached forward and took one of Mark’s wrists, gently rolling the sleeve of his hoodie up to his elbow. He fought the urge to snatch it back, remembering why it was he was there in the first place. “Since it’s your first time I suppose it’d be improper of me to go straight for the jugular, so we’ll start here. This may hurt a little at first, but I’m sure you can handle it.” It’s eyes glinted mischievously as he tapped lightly on the string of veins along Mark’s inner wrist, the sensation of having vampire magic so close in proximity making his skin vibrate with feeling.

 

Mark worried his lower lip between his teeth as the vampire brought his wrist closer to his mouth, watching with faint horror as his fangs extended seamlessly, settling against the skin. He was given one last look, as if to confirm consent for what was about to be done. Mark nodded once more confidently than he felt as the vampire’s fangs finally pierced through.

 

It did hurt at first. But no more than a pin pricking through the surface. Vampire saliva did have a bit of a numbing agent he was told, an old magic much like a glamour where they could control the pain when needed. Instead all Mark felt was a warming sensation as it drank, like soothing rain water spreading from his wrist up his inner arm and inside his body. He could feel each heartbeat echoing in his veins as the vampire rubbed soothing circles along his arm to keep him calm, the fear dissipating into a pleasant buzz that made his head light and his stomach warm. His eyes fluttered shut and he felt himself being laid back gently onto the table, his strength to stay upright slowly fading as his blood was consumed. 

 

The fire spread to his feet, the magic coursing through his bloodstream and heightening every nerve ending causing his body to feel heavy but alight with the sensation of the feeding. He felt he was beginning to understand why people who started this often came back, like junkies begging for a fix. He was panting heavily by the time the vampire retracted his fangs, biting back a moan as it licked the inside of his wrist, cleaning the last drops of blood. The saliva would help the wound heal faster but the scars would remain for awhile, like a brand on the pale skin of Mark’s body. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was glad. He liked to wear his scars proudly. Badges of memories left on him forever. This would be no different.

 

Wearily he opened his eyes, fighting the edges of sleep as the vampire slung his coat back over his shoulders and made his way to take one last look at Mark, gently brushing his bangs out of his eyes. An oddly intimate gesture for someone who was just feeding on his blood.

 

“Sleep little mouse. You’ll feel better in the morning.” he said as he made to leave. Mark wished he’d had the strength to kick at him as he passed, but he did have enough to speak.

 

“Wait. You never told me your name...” 

 

The vampire stopped with his hand on the doorknob, looking back at Mark with his eyes crinkling in an unreadable expression. He was gone with a vampire’s speed but not before Mark heard him speak one last time as sleep overtook him. 

 

“Jaebum. It’s Jaebum.” 


	3. Domino Effect

Jinyoung checked his watch again as he paced the block with agitation. 1:46am. They had agreed to meet back in front of the car at 1:30 and it wasn't like BamBam to be late. His younger counterpart may have been at the best of times a pain in the ass, but he was never late. Especially not during a patrol. It was dangerous being out at this hour, especially alone. Even with the treaty there were still plenty of rogue and nomadic vampires roaming the streets. Plus with the constant power struggle happening between many of the underground vampire covens, humans were often caught in the crossfire. Which was why they were out there to begin with. 

 

Someone had to police the slums of the city. The Vampire Task Force had its hands full as it was. And they certainly weren't wasting manpower on the citizens they deemed "toxic" to society. It was why Jinyoung had quit the force to begin with and gone rogue. He’d always imagined himself as a bit of a Batman type when he was younger, fighting criminals on his own terms and keeping the streets safe. And now he kind of was. Except without the mansion and a lot more seedy characters around to fund his endeavors. And with infinitely more vampires. Along the way he'd met a few good kids looking for a purpose and willing to train. One of whom he was now worried might have been very much in trouble. 

 

He was about to hit the redial button on his phone for the third time when a loud bang coming from the direction of an alley a few blocks down caught his attention. He scrambled to shove his phone in his jacket pocket, grabbing at the hilt of the his gun and wrenching it from its holster as he ran. He was rounding the block to turn into the alleyway when he collided with a solid form and was knocked backwards and almost completely off his feet. He steadied himself quickly, aiming the barrel of the gun at the offending figure on the ground. He caught sight of the tuft of pink hair and stick thin legs splayed out before him and returned his gun to his holster, sighing heavily with a mixture of relief and annoyance.

 

"Bam Jesus Christ I could have killed you! The fuck are you doing? Why are you late?!" He helped the younger boy to his feet, dusting off his leather jacket as BamBam cradled his elbow gingerly. 

 

"Sorry  _ mom _ but I came across some serious shit down here. You gotta see this." He motioned for Jinyoung to follow him down the alley, around the corner that lead behind the building. The lighting was dim here, the street lamps barely reaching where they stood. The smell of rotten garbage started to assail Jinyoung’s nose. He waved his hand in front of it trying in vain to waft the smell. But there was something else. Something more foul smelling than a bag of week old food remnants. Something that held the vague plume of death…. 

 

“God what is that... _ oh shit….” _ Jinyoung finally rounded the dumpster to where BamBam now stood, falling against the side as his head started to spin. He used one hand to steady himself, almost spilling his dinner on the concrete in the process. Below them was definitely a human body. Or what was left of it. Blood long since dried framed the torso. The arm, torn from it’s socket, had been flung against the fence just meters away. The face was battered and completely unrecognizable. When Jinyoung came to his senses a bit he crouched down to get a closer look. He could see the fang marks that tore through the neckline. Skin a bruising white from where the rest of the blood had been drained. Whoever or  _ whatever _ had done this had definitely gone for the overkill. Judging by the blood and the smell, Jinyoung supposed it had been here a few days at least. It wasn’t unusual for the cleanup in these parts of town to take a few days. No one was looking for the people down here. Most died without anyone to even notice they were gone. But this was different.

 

“I found this as well. What the hell kind of vamp did this?” BamBam said as he passed Jinyoung what appeared to be a strip of leather similar to a dog collar. The back clasp broken like it had been torn from the neck. As he turned it in his hands he noticed the golden etched letters in the center. Shaking his head, he pulled his phone from his pocket and started scrolling through the contacts.

 

“As much as it pains me I need to get ahold of Jaebum. The body is one of his….”

 

\-------

 

Mark was on the 6th episode of his Criminal Minds marathon when there was a loud knocking on his door. He scoffed loudly as the victim, a prostitute of a much similar fashion to himself had allowed the murderer to trick them into an easily avoidable kidnapping. A rookie mistake he’d never make. The money he’d made from his first feeding 2 weeks ago had afforded him a few well earned nights off and he’d taken full advantage by barely leaving the couch. He hit pause on his laptop knowing full well that the dreamy detective Derek Morgan would come to the rescue as he did every episode. Fictional or not he was a much better cop than any of the ones he knew in his real life. Except for maybe one Park Jinyoung. Who also happened to be one of his best clients. He was about to get up and answer the door when it swung open on its own accord, a tall gangly teenager lumbering through, hands full of Chinese takeout.

 

“Yugyeom just because I gave you a key doesn’t mean you can barge in whenever you want to.” His younger friend started unloading the take out boxes onto the coffee table without preamble, looking at Mark petulantly.

 

“Uh, yes it does? The point of a key being it opens doors at will. Besides, I brought dinner! I thought you’d need your energy before your second date with tall, dark, and bloodsucky. You never told me much about how it when by the way.” 

 

Mark pinched the bridge of his nose in agitation, joining Yugyeom on the floor as his stomach had started to growl with interest. “I mean it was what it was. Kinda awkward at first and a little terrifying considering you know,  _ vampire,  _ but Jaebum was-”

 

He was cut off by Yugyeom coughing and flailing in his general direction, apparently choking mid mouthful on his chow mein. “Wait...JAEBUM!? As in Im Jaebum?”

 

“Yeah? What does that have to do with anything?” Yugyeom was looking at Mark as if he had two heads. He quickly started rummaging through the bags of food, pulling out the clump of newspaper that lined the bottom to soak up the excess sauce. After a moment of flipping through the pages he shoved the folded front page of the business section directly in Mark’s face. There printed in the low quality ink was a picture of the vampire who had been at his feeding. He looked much the same as the last time he’d had seen him, crisp and gorgeous in his signature expensive looking black suit. The Im Corp logo pin secured delicately on his lapel. He looked to have been photographed mid press conference, a stature of power and confidence coming through even from a simple photograph. Mark’s eyes drifted up to the headline,  **“SUCCESSOR TO SEOUL’S MOST PROMISING UP AND COMING VAMPIRE CORPORATION: IM JAEBUM SPEAKS ON EVENTUAL POWER TRANSFERENCE”** printed in bold. Mark stared at the headline feeling dumber by the second, cursing himself for not paying more attention to current events. He had assumed the vampire he had met weeks ago had been important somehow. But most vampires in the corporate business world seem to carry an air of self importance well above their station. How was he to know who he was dealing with.

 

“Shit so he’s-”

 

“-the soon to be inducted leader of his coven? Yeah. Apparently the elders have been prepping him for a while now. It’s kind of a big deal considering Im Corp is becoming the biggest name in the underground. They have all kinds of trade and business dealings in the works. Soon all vampire activity in Seoul is going to have to go through them”

 

“How the hell do you know so much?” Mark said looking sideways at his friend.

 

“A lot of my clients like to talk. I guess they just assume once they pay me I stop listening. Anyway, it looks like you’ve landed yourself a big one. This dude’s gonna have money coming out of his ears. You should really get in on the ground running.  _ Make sure he keeps you around.  _ If you know what I mean.” At this Yugyeom was making a decidedly lewd hand motion that looked a lot like an invisible blowjob. Mark rolled up the newspaper in his hand and swung it down across his head.

 

“He’s a vampire you sick fuck. I’m sure he’d rather just tear my throat out and be done with it. Do they even have a sex drive?”

 

Popping the last of his eggroll into his mouth, Yugyeom shrugged. “Only one way to find out. Besides, don’t act like you’re above sleeping with people for money. It’s what we do after all…”

 

\------

 

Mark had stood in front of his closet for a solid hour after Yugyeom had left, freshly showered and racking his brain for a proper outfit choice for the feeding that night. He supposed it didn’t even matter, nothing he owned could even amount to a quarter of what Jaebum would probably be decked in. He wasn’t even sure why he cared. He’d only met the guy once. He was just going to be fed on and that was that. This certainly wasn’t going to be some fucked up Anne Rice version of Pretty Woman. He needed to stop letting his younger friend get inside his head. But still, whatever pride he’d had was making sure he wouldn’t show up again looking like he’d just rolled out of bed.

 

In the end he’d settled on his favorite pair of black jeans and a dark navy blue tank top with a low neckline that exposed his collarbones. Easy access, he’d laughed to himself. Layering it with a warm grey cardigan he’d made his way on the subway downtown, arriving at the Im Corp building just as the sun was making it’s final descent. He ran his fingers through his bangs for the umpteenth time, trying to will his hair and his heartbeat to settle.

 

He was led into the same room as the last time, opting to pace a bit as he waited. He’d wished desperately that they weren’t floors underground. As well as the air was circulated in the building, he couldn’t help his apprehension at being in a room without windows. Thankfully it wasn’t long after sunset when Jaebum finally swept in. Mark stopped mid-step and took him in, the vampire dressed this time in a suit of deep burgundy with a matching tie. He’d come in with his cellphone pressed to his ear in the middle of a call, which allowed Mark an extra minute to examine his face, handsome features stern and brow furrowed slightly. Whatever was going on on the other end of line seemed important.

 

“...yes, I understand. I’m very aware of what this means. Listen I’m in the middle of something. I’ll take care of it.” He ended the call with a sigh and returned his phone to his pocket, his frown slowly turning into a smile as he finally caught sight of Mark pressed with his back into the nearby wall, hands nervously worrying the oversized sleeves of his sweater. He couldn’t help but laugh lightly. “Sorry about that, little mouse. Duty is always calling I’m afraid. Come closer. It’s Mark, yes? Can I call you that? Stop trying to melt yourself into the wall.”

 

Mark nodded at that and willed his feet forward, closing the gap so that he was only a few feet from Jaebum, cursing himself inwardly that he couldn’t shake his nerves in the presence of this creature. He knew he was in no danger here but his fight or flight response was always on high alert. 

 

“I-is everything ok?”  _ Fucking stutter. Yes, because he’s going to tell you all of his secret vampire business. Idiot.  _

 

Jaebum merely took in his question with mild interest and a wave of his hand. “Of course. I’m sure you’ve seen the news. It’s a busy time. There’s bound to be a few hiccups. But come dear one, we aren’t here to talk business.” Before Mark could blink Jaebum was in front of him with vampire speed, laying a hand on his waist and leading him backwards until his hips pressed against the table. Having the vampire this close and body level to him was doing a number on his personal space alarm. He could feel the fading scars on his wrist start to itch with interest, sucking in a breath as Jaebum moved his hand up his body until it was tracing the fine line where his sweater met his neck. Every move of his fingers on Mark’s skin heightening the feeling in his nerves.

 

“Take this off,” He whispered. Mark swallowed thickly and fumbled with the edges of his sweater, removing the article of clothing with all the grace of a bumbling child just learning to use his limbs. Jaebum smirked as he took the sweater from Mark’s hands and stepped back to lay it on the chair beside them, leaving Mark feeling thankful for a little room to breathe. “You might want to lay down. Just in case this takes as much out of you as it did the last time”

 

He did as he was told, still feeling a little exposed in his tank top and wishing he’d just stuck to layering himself in as many hoodies as he could wear at one time. 

 

“Where, uh, do you want it?” He flinched immediately as the words left his mouth.  _ Smooth. _ He noticed the faint quirk of Jaebum’s eyebrow as he pulled the chair up to sit beside beside him, gently pulling Mark’s arm from where it had glued itself to his side. He lay both hands at the inside of his elbow, tapping his fingers along the juncture where his forearm met his bicep. 

 

“Here I think. Okay?” Mark nodded. Again with the assurance. The question of permission for consent. It was still an odd concept to him. Everything he’d come to know about vampires alluded to them just taking. Without question. He couldn’t help but feel thankful Jaebum seemed to want to make this as comfortable as possible. Even though he was sure a creature with his power and rank hadn’t gotten as far as he had on good will. Mark’s curiosity was bubbling beneath the surface to know the full magnitude of what Jaebum was capable of.

 

The piercing of fangs was less startling this time around, his body prepared in anticipation. The familiar warmth started to spread again, faster and heavier from the bite coming directly in contact with a major artery. His breath started to quicken, the magic settling itself in as Jaebum drank. What Mark was pleased to find was that this time he felt more awake, his head feeling heavy but electric. What he was horrified to find was as the seconds ticked by, the warmth began to pool low in his stomach, the familiar burn of arousal crawling just under his skin. The itch spread throughout his body, his blood simmering just below the boiling point. He shook his head slightly, trying to get his mind above water and focus on something other than the mortifying fact that he was slowly getting hard.

 

He let out a gasp as Jaebum moved one of his hands to brace his hip, thumb rubbing light circles along the small patch of skin where his shirt had ridden up just above the waistband of his jeans. He bit into his bottom lip to stop any errant noises that might escape, as he wasn’t quite sure if in his feeding haze Jaebum had noticed that Mark was getting dangerously close to writhing against the table. 

 

“J-Jaebum….wait-” He used what strength he could muster to lift his head up and grip the wrist on his hip, trying to halt the vampire’s ministrations. Jaebum pulled off in concern, cleaning the wound with tip of his tongue and it was too much, this time Mark couldn’t help but let out a long moan, knocking his head back against the table. Wishing Jaebum would just snap his neck so he’d never have to relive this moment, he peered up through squinted eyes to find the vampire standing over him, face a mixture of concern and amusement.

 

“Everything alright little one? Did you hurt your head?”

 

“No I- I’m fine I just, I was starting to feel sick.” Mark fumbled for a quick lie, hoping he sounded at least mildly convincing. Praying that the pink tinging his cheeks and the heaving of his chest could be used to feign an illness.

 

“Hm, yes,  _ sick. _ ” The inflection on the word making Mark feel uneasy. But not as uneasy as the vampire’s eyes raking down his chest to his lower body. “That happens from time to time. The feeding affects everyone a bit differently. No matter though, I’m quite sated for now. But…are you?” His hand trailed down from Mark’s hip until his palm was was ghosting above the hard outline of his jeans. “I could take care of this, if you like?” He pressed the heel of his palm ever so slightly against Mark’s clothed erection. He choked back the whimper catching his throat as the flight response finally kicked in. He shot into a seated position, knocking Jaebum’s hand away and immediately regretting sitting up so fast. His vision blurred before his eyes and he faltered, Jaebum’s arms catching around his shoulders to prevent him from tumbling off the table.

 

“Careful there. I don’t know what I’d tell the staff if they found you with your head cracked open on the floor. I’m sorry little mouse. I was only, well, I just…” Jaebum’s mouth snapped shut as he struggled with his words, catching Mark off guard that someone as enigmatic as this vampire seeming to be at a loss for his next phrase. He shook his head as his expression quickly slipped back into something more neutral. Mark had expected to hear footsteps leaving the room and the sound of the door closing but instead he felt his sweater being wrapped back around his shoulders, Jaebum running a soothing hand through his hair pushing his bangs out of his eyes. 

 

“I think we’re done here for today.” He spoke softly. “Let’s get you home. Do you feel up to it?” 

 

“Yeah. I can manage. I’m fine. The trains should still be running. I’d rather sleep in my own bed I think.” 

 

He felt Jaebum straighten up at this, his eyes flickering to the clock on the wall with an unreadable expression “The train? No, it’s far too late. There’s been some...instances on the outskirts of the city recently. It isn’t safe. I’ll have someone drive you.”

 

“Aw you big dead softie, you do care,” Mark balked a little at his own joke. The lingering magic settling into a faint buzz in his brain was making him loosen into a bit of his real self. The self that wasn’t shaken to the bone about being in the same room with a human eating vampire. He chanced a look at Jaebum’s face and the playful glint in his stark red eyes was worth it.

 

“I, tiny insolent human, simply do not wish to lose my new favorite blood bag. The screening process is a pain in the ass and I have enough on my plate.” He stood scoffing with mock outrage and Mark could help but laugh, the blood loss making him giddy. He’d definitely need a long night’s sleep to recover. He was thankful however that Jaebum seemed to be taking his embarrassing reaction to the feeding in stride and wasn’t making him feel awkward about the entire exchange. The vampire smiled as he extended his hand and helped him off the table, steadying him as he lead Mark out of the room.

 

“Come, I’ll get Jackson to drive you home. Don't worry, he's completely safe. Just...a little eccentric.”

  
  


Jackson, as Mark would find, was Jaebum’s lively right hand and bodyguard. A vampire of smaller stature with a boisterous personality filling up all the empty space in the car as he drove Mark towards his apartment just outside of the city.  If Mark had had any prior misconceptions about all vampires being dark, stoic, and brooding, Jackson had quickly blown that image to smithereens. In the short ride to his apartment Mark had learned that the dark haired vampire had recently been transferred over from Im Corp’s smaller branch in China to keep an eye on Jaebum as he prepped to take over the business, their covens long since having a solid working relationship. Also that Jackson had preferred knives to guns, once in his human life running through a man threatening his family with a fencing sword that belonged to his father. 

 

Mark was happy for the distraction. Even as they pulled up to the front of his apartment, he could still feel dull ache of Jaebum’s bite as he ran his hand absentmindedly along the inside of his elbow. The skin still warm and the memory of the night still making Mark’s cheeks flush ever so slightly. He was so absorbed in his tangent train of thought he barely caught the end of Jackson’s sentence as his put the car in park.

 

“...you know he said you tasted like strawberry lemonade. At least, what he remembers of it. He’d let that slip on the walk back to the office last time. Weird huh? Whenever I feed it usually tastes like the tea my mother used to make. But that was many years ago.”

 

“What? Ah, that’s….I guess it would. Taste like something more appealing to your kind. To us it only really tastes like iron and injury. Anyway...I, uh, this is me so goodnight.” He was stumbling over his words again, trying to process the bit of information Jackson had just given him. He didn’t think Jaebum was the type to rattle off random information about the humans he fed on. It seemed a bit personal somehow. But he supposed he didn’t really know Jaebum at all. He couldn’t help but find the vampire increasingly intriguing. The feeling was setting tiny seeds in Mark’s mind and he could only hope they wouldn’t sprout. It was dangerous enough living the kind of life he lived without poking his ever growing curiosity into the lives of the undead as well. He quickly grasped the car door handle and let himself out, the vampire in the driver’s seat giving him one last wave.

 

“Goodnight Mark, I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.” He winked as Mark made his way inside the apartment building, watching carefully from behind the wheel as the human closed the door behind him, Jaebum strictly instructing him to make sure he made it in safely.

 

Blocks away, tucked tightly away stories above on the rusty old fire escape of a nearby building, a shadow lingered in the darkness. It seemed Jackson wasn’t the only one watching...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to everyone who's been following this story. I hope you enjoyed the update. Things have been moving along quiet nicely. I'm not sure when I'll get the next bit up, I'm gonna be kind of busy with KCon stuff next week so bear with me. The next update should provide a bit of insight into Jaebum's character, Markjin's relationship coming to light. I hope to also bring Youngjae into the fold finally. Stay tuned.
> 
> Please leave comments and let me know what you think! I'd love to hear your feedback. Hopefully you like where it's going? <3


	4. Action, Reaction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry in advance for the poorly written semi-smut. I am but a smol innocent and also I've never written anything like this soooo go easy on me.

_ Jaebum could feel the press of fingertips all over his body, a trail of fire along the cold contrast of his skin. The body beneath him was warm and pliant, the slick slide of their skin eliciting the sweetest sounds from plush lips, lips that he captured with his own, trying to swallow every moan as if he could lock away the moment and save it forever.  He was careful, oh so careful as he threaded his fingers through soft yellow hair, kissing gently as he moved his mouth slowly down the tempting expanse of neckline before him. Humans were fragile after all.  He felt his fangs run out before he could stop himself.  The blood humming wildly under the skin calling to him like a siren’s song. The scent of it winding itself tightly around Jaebum’s being until he could think of nothing else. Nothing but the pleasure of the body wrapped tightly around him and the draw of the blood below him as he grazed his fangs along the pulse point, finally biting down… _

 

Jaebum shot upright. The sun had made its final descent, dragging him awake. He fell back against the pillows, rubbing his face vigorously as the remnants of his dream ebbed around around his mind. He could still see Mark’s beautiful features behind his eyelids, head rolled back in pleasure as Jaebum pressed into him. This wasn't the first time the boy had made an appearance in his dreams. Ever since the first feeding this had happened several times, sometimes only in flashes but each time getting more and more vivid. 

 

To his own mortification, as he shifted under the covers he could feel that he was hard. That was a first. He growled in frustration at the betrayal of his own body. He was almost three centuries old, he had lived the lifetimes of many people, he was not some teenager out of control of his own hormones. He cursed whatever god there was that even allowed vampires to have such a pitiful reaction to another being. Especially a human. He snaked his hand downward, dejectedly knowing that only sating this urge would allow him to focus on the rest of his evening. He groaned as he gripped himself tightly, stroking slow and languidly all the while imagining more lithe hands wrapped around him, the image of the smaller blonde boy on top of him being the one to drag out the low guttural noises he only allowed himself to make behind closed doors. He was already so close, hand picking up speed as the heat coiled low in the pit of his stomach ready to snap…

 

“RISE AND SHINE SLEEPING BEAUTY, IT’S A WONDERFUL NIGHT!” Jaebum’s door burst open suddenly, Jackson barreling through and hopping playfully on the edge of the bed. At the same time Jaebum flung the blanket over himself, thanking the gods he didn’t have a running heart or else he’s sure he’d have had an attack. He curled onto his side, still painfully hard and making a mental note to “accidentally” snap Jackson’s arm in half during their next training session. He’d heal in minutes but it’d still be worth it.

 

“Jesus christ will you  _ please _ learn to knock! You might be my head of security but you have  _ got _ to learn personal space boundaries.” Jaebum grumbled from under the blanket, peeking his head out to bear his fangs at his insolent friend. 

 

“You look so cute when you’re sleepy and cranky, your jaw juts out like it’s going to unhinge.” Jackson cooed, scooting closer to Jaebum on the bed and ruffling his already disheveled hair. He stopped to lean in a bit and sniff at the air around him. “Why does it smell vaguely like sex? Were you jerking off under there? Ooh is that cute little feeder hiding somewhere.” He looked around the room before grabbing the edge of the blanket as if to take peek. Jaebum gave him one swift kick from under the covers, enough to knock the bodyguard off of the bed and onto the floor sending him into a fit of laugher. 

 

“Alright alright loverboy, I’ll leave you to it, but hurry up will ya? I just got a call. We have to meet with Youngjae at 9. Business doesn’t stop just so you can cum.” He ran out of the room as Jaebum flung a pillow at the door, his high pitched laughter following him out. This was not how Jaebum had envisioned the start of his evening. He slowly willed himself out of bed wishing that drowning himself in the shower was an opinion. 

 

\-------

 

Youngjae’s lab was set up in the center of the Im Corp building, just a few floors above where the feeder rooms were held. He gave a small wave as Jaebum and Jackson entered, getting up from his computer to greet them. The boy may have been young but he was already a medical genius, his baby face betraying the wealth of knowledge he had already encompassed. Jaebum had always felt a feeling of fondness for the younger ever since he’d been recruited, perhaps because he reminded him of the little brother he had lost years ago in his human life. He’d tried many times to convince him to make the change, but Youngjae had insisted he’d barely had enough time to live out his own human youth, bogged down from schooling from a young age and being swept up into the corporate world after he’d graduated early. Still he wore the Im Corp brand with pride, the symbol on his neck marker gleaming as brightly as his smile on a good day.

 

“It’s good to see you both as always. I wish that tonight it were under better circumstances I’m afraid.” Youngjae said as he motioned for the vampires to follow him into the room adjacent, an examining table standing in the center, a body laid out on top covered in a stark white sheet. “This was brought in earlier today. It appears to be in as bad of shape as the last one. Only this time it was found in the middle of an intersection. Whoever is behind this seems to be escalating. Trying to send some kind of a message. This time even our logo was drawn next to the corpse in the street. In the man’s own blood. I ran what I could of the fingerprints. It’s...he...was someone in my department.” 

 

He scrunched up his face in worry and disgust as he handed Jaebum the photos taken from the crime scene. In them Jaebum saw much of what he expected. One of his own workers, still donned in a lab coat splayed out on the pavement, limbs bend unnaturally. Just above the body was the Im Corp sigil scrawled out in blood as if it wasn’t already clear enough who this was meant for. Jaebum could feel the tremors of rage beginning to make his hands shake. Whatever scum was coming after them didn’t even have the decency to take their vampires head on. It was attacking their humans, those who could not even begin to defend themselves. He crumpled the photo and flung it across the room, making Youngjae flinch in the process. Jackson came forward then, placing a hand on Jaebum’s shoulder in an attempt at placation. Jaebum turned to his bodyguard, straightening up with the air of authority he held when he commanded his men. 

 

“Jackson, we need to tighten security. No one gets in or out of here without approval. I don’t want the humans going anywhere outside the building without escorts. And I want you to get a special detail for Youngjae. One of your best. I won’t lose him too.” Jackson nodded and left the room to make arrangements. Youngjae had looked up in shock at being mentioned, a small appreciative smile forming on his lips. Jaebum looked at him softly, resisting the urge to scoop the smaller boy up his arms and hide him from the world. 

 

“We’ll find whoever is behind this, I promise. We’ll find them and I’ll destroy them myself.”

 

\-------

 

On the other side of town, Mark had his own hands full. One hand fisted tightly in Jinyoung’s hair as he pressed their mouths together, the other trying to rid himself of his jacket as they kicked the bedroom door shut. Downstairs the TV played loudly, Yugyeom and BamBam engrossed in some sort of war of the worlds battle royale on Yugyeom’s newly acquired  Playstation 4. Jinyoung smiled into Mark’s mouth as the shouts of their younger friends drifted upward, it seemed they were already thick as thieves.

 

“I’m glad they seem to be getting along. BamBam really needs someone to hang out with that isn’t me.” Jinyoung mused, biting gently on Mark’s earlobe, eliciting a pleased sigh from the blonde as he pressed him against the door.

 

“Do you really want to waste your money talking about the kids or did you pay to fuck me?” Mark smirked, trailing his hands under Jinyoung’s shirt, the brunette’s breath catching in his throat as Mark’s thumbs grazed his nipples. 

 

Jinyoung pulled Mark from the door and walked back towards the bed, sitting on the edge as Mark straddled his hips. He reconnected their lips in a heated kiss, licking into Mark’s mouth and capturing the moan that escaped as blonde ground down into his lap. It was an intoxicating feeling, the feeling of control to fill the void from the times he was powerless. The way he would move and Mark would respond in kind. It was probably why he kept coming back. Why he kept bestowing the blonde with the extra money he had all for the moments like this when he could let himself go. Although in the back of his mind he was sure his savior complex had something to do with it. He had grown fond of Mark from their dalliances and he had figured if maybe he could provide a steady source of income for the boy, he wouldn’t have to resort to more  _ unsavory  _ characters to make ends meet. And maybe, just maybe, somewhere in the dark corner of his subconscious locked away where no one would see it, Jinyoung had hoped that maybe someday Mark might come to him without the allure of a payday hanging in front of him. A dark and unreachable thought but one he harbored none the less.

 

Jinyoung broke the kiss only to pull Mark’s shirt over head, letting it drop to the floor. He pressed his lips down his neck, sucking and biting as he let his hands roam over newly exposed skin. Mark wrapped his hands around Jinyoung’s neck mewling softly as his grip pulled tightly at Jinyoung’s hair. Jinyoung moaned in turn, pulling back to nuzzle his face into the skin of Mark’s forearm at the light feeling of pain. It was when his eyes fluttered open that he noticed the bandage wound around Mark’s elbow. Mark stilled as Jinyoung pulled his arm from around his neck to examine it more closely.

 

“What happened? Is everything ok?” Jinyoung made to remove the bandage but Mark shrugged it off, trying to distract him by leaning in for a kiss. Jinyoung placed a hand on his chest to stop the movement, reaching for the bandage to untie it as Mark fought to grab his arm back, the two engaging in a small bout of tug of war.

 

“It’s nothing. It’s not serious don't worry about it.” 

 

“It is serious Mark. Did somebody hurt you? God please tell me you aren’t using my money to pump yourself with drugs.” 

 

At that Mark stopped fighting, completely taken aback that Jinyoung would ever even suggest something so ridiculous. Angrily he snatched his arm back, unwrapping the bandage himself shoving his forearm in Jinyoung’s face. The fang marks on his arm were slowly fading but still visible even in the dim lighting of the room. Jinyoung took in the sight slowly, his face contorting in confusion as Mark climbed off him to search for his shirt, the mood completely shattered.

 

“There. Are you happy now? It isn't drugs.” 

 

“I…who did this? I warned you all there were attacks in the area. Why didn't you come to me? Why didn't you tell me about this? I could have-”

 

“You could have what? You could have done nothing because I wasn't attacked. I let a vampire feed off of me willingly and I certainly missed the part where any of this is your business!” Mark was near shouting at this point, a slow burn of agitation finally bubbling over. Jinyoung never could mind his own business. Mark much preferred to keep his clients at arms length but Jinyoung was never one to let anything lie. Slowly but surely he’d tried to worm his way into Mark’s personal life and it was getting far too close for comfort. It was becoming clear to Mark that maybe it was best to cut this thing off at the neck. It never ended well mixing business with pleasure. He threw his shirt back over his head and scooped his jacket off the floor, making to leave the room. He stopped as he reached for the handle looking back Jinyoung who was still sitting on the bed, jaw clenched and hands balled into fists.

 

“Look, maybe it's best if we don't do this anymore. I'm sorry…”

 

Jinyoung snapped finally, standing suddenly and crowding Mark against the wall, the look in his eyes turning wild with desperation. 

 

“Don't do this,” he placed a hand on Mark’s cheek, stroking slowly along the side of his face. “Whatever you're doing, whatever it is that you think you need to do to survive, don't. These creatures, they aren't safe. It's only a matter of time before something terrible happens. I...you can stay here...with us. You know that right? You don't have to-”

 

“Yeah I do, Jinyoung. I'm fine on my own. I have been for years. What I'm doing now, it’s more money than I could ever make on the street. Soon I might even be able to give this up. It's...you wouldn't understand. I don't need you to protect me.” He moved towards the door then and Jinyoung let him, backing away as Mark left the room. It wasn't over for him. He wouldn't give up that easily. But tonight it seemed it was clearly unsalvageable. 

 

Mark made his way out the front door quickly, avoiding Yugyeom’s line of questioning as he walked outside. He’d told the younger to stay, assured him he'd be fine and could get home on his own. It wasn't a very long walk and Mark really needed the time to cool off.

 

He’d known things would come to a head with Jinyoung eventually. He'd always had a chip on his shoulder about vampires and anything related to them. Even the ones who didn't kill for food or sport. And while Mark  _ did  _ find them a little terrifying, it was an opinion he just didn't share. He'd seen humans do things that were just as sick. Just as horrifying as what Jinyoung seemed to think all vampires were capable of. 

 

And then there was the Jaebum conundrum. While he definitely had the ability to snap Mark in half and drain his entire life out of him at will, he didn't. Obviously it would look reckless and self destructive if someone in power were to run around killing so aimlessly but on the other hand the underground vamps had more than enough resources to make someone disappear. Especially someone like him. But for whatever reason to Mark that didn't feel like it was Jaebum’s way. He had always looked for consent, seemed to at least care enough about the humans under the umbrella of the corporation to try and keep them safe. But he also knew not all vampires shared the same unified agenda. And he was about to find out first hand.

 

He was about 2 blocks away from his apartment when they hit. One second Mark was out on the sidewalk, the next he felt his head crack painfully against the wall of the alleyway he was pulled into. He crumpled to floor, vision swimming in front his eyes. He tried to pull himself up when a kick planted itself directly in his stomach, knocking him onto his back and taking the breath from his lungs. He tried to focus on the figures above him, two of them with their faces obscured by the shadows. The one closest to him knelt down near his face and that's when Mark saw it’s eyes. Blood red spheres staring menacingly back at him. 

 

“Humans...you'd think after all this time they'd have smartened up and made themselves harder to catch.” The vampire spoke with a voice low and edged like it had been run rough with sandpaper. His sharp features and hair like silver ash a stark identifier. The black haired vampire behind him shrugged, a dimpled smile appearing at the sight of Mark laid out on the ground clutching his stomach. 

 

“Vampires...you’d think after all this time they’d have stopped dressing like predictable discount store goths.” Mark wheezed. Probably not his smartest decision but if he couldn’t fight them with his fists he’d at least attempt to use his words. The silver haired vampire growled low in his throat, catching one of Mark’s arms and hauling him to his feet. He cried out in pain as his arm was twisted behind his back and his head slammed against the wall again, the vampire holding it rough against the brick. Mark could feel the blood trickle slowly down the right side of his face, his left arm bent just a hair's breadth from it’s breaking point.

 

“This one’s mouthy, I’m gonna enjoy dropping him from the rooftop.”

  
“No. The boss said to leave him alive. Although I’m sure eventually you’ll get your chance.” The second vampire spoke then and Mark felt the smallest surge of hope. He had no idea what they could possibly be planning but he appeared to be keeping his head. At least for now...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not entirely pleased with how this came out but I barreled through it none the less. I hope it makes sense. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Also super mega bonus points if you can correctly guess who the vamps are at the end.


	5. Osmosis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thanks for being so patient while waiting for the next update. I was lost in the throws of KCon weekend. It was an amazing yet extremely busy time. I ended up banging out this entire chapter in a few hours today and I'm impatient as hell to post things so hopefully it isn't an incoherent mess. Hope you enjoy it! Leave me your thoughts!
> 
> Also were you able to guess our villains? Just my 2 fav new rookie cutes Taeyong and Jaehyun from NCT.

Jaebum wasn’t even sure what he thought he was doing. He’d found himself following his feet to the far outskirts of Seoul until he was pacing the sidewalk looking up at a dingy old apartment building. Mark’s apartment building. He’d needed to clear his pounding head after a long suffering evening of work, pouring over intel with the elders breathing down his neck, trying desperately to catch a lead on whoever it was who was hell bent on getting his attention. What rivals that could be so recklessly bold as to try continuously to provoke a coven as large and powerful as his. He knew whoever was playing these games had to have some kind of organized agenda, one that would keep escalating until it came to a head or until he’d broken through the mystery and cut it off himself. He knew anyone associated with Im Corp wouldn’t be safe until this was stopped.

 

So he’d walked. He’d walked to clear his head but also to alleviate the tiny nagging bit in the back of his mind that kept calling to him to make sure that Mark was ok. He wasn’t even sure why it was that this particular human had lodged himself so directly in Jaebum’s consciousness and it was becoming increasingly frustrating. From the blonde’s ever present visage in his dreams to the slow burning itch to taste his blood again even though it had only been a few days since his last feeding. He needed to focus on his work and it was becoming harder and harder to do so. It was all Jaebum could do to not curse himself entirely for letting a mere human threaten to consume him like this. He just needed to make sure he was safe. To alert him of the present danger and make sure he was taking the proper precautions. That was all. It’d would be quick and simple and then he could finally return to himself. He’d hoped…

 

He was about to pull open the front door of the building when he’d heard it. A cut off scream and the suspicious sound of bone cracking against brick. The lurching in his gut pulled him into a run, cutting the distance of few blocks in seconds with vampire speed and rounding the alleyway, the sight before him being the picture perfect painting of what he had feared.

 

Mark was slumped against ground, clutching at his dislocated shoulder in pain. There was blood matted thick against the side of his head, a stark contrast to the pale of his skin. The silver haired vampire above him chuckled at the sight as he raised his boot, intending to bring the blunt side of it down against the boy’s neck. Jaebum saw nothing but red.

  
  


Mark had braced himself for the impact of another hit but it never came. He blinked up suddenly and saw a third figure launch itself at the vampire attacking him, in a blur too fast for his human eyes to process, sending the silver haired vampire flying into the back wall, the cracking of it’s spine a jarring sound in the stillness of the alley. The second vampire, the one who had stood by quietly while Mark was beaten seemed to sense the danger immediately, moving fast to swoop up his comrade and take to the rooftops before the intruder had sent it’s fist through his head, connecting instead into the worn brick of the building. It was quiet then, save the light sound of Mark shuffling on his good arm to turn his battered body towards the shadows, trying to assess the remaining danger. He’d expected the third vampire to have disappeared, to have taken off towards his attackers in an attempt to catch them, but instead it made it’s way to hover over Mark’s lilting form, cradling his injured head gently in it’s hands. Mark’s blinked rapidly to try and clear his vision. And just before it faded to black he recognized the face of his savior. _Jaebum_.

 

\-------

 

_“If you don’t stop pacing and hovering over me I’m going to kick you out of this room.”_

 

_“I’m just trying to make sure he’s ok.”_

 

_“He will be if you get out of my way and let me do my job. Go downstairs and feed with Jackson. You’re too wound up.”_

 

Mark blinked his eyes open slowly as he heard a door open and close. Slowly but surely the world around him came into focus. He winced slightly as the bright lights hit him. He was tucked in a bed surrounded by familiar sterile white walls. His dirty clothes replaced with soft cotton pants and shirt of a usual hospital garb. An IV drip attached to his right arm, his left shoulder throbbing but back in place. He reached up slowly and felt the bandage wrapped around his head, groaning as the realization of what had happened came rushing back.

 

“Hey, you’re awake! Don’t try to move too fast. You’re still pretty banged up. But the good news is you’re gonna be fine.” A bright voice met Mark’s ears, it’s owner a boy who appeared to be younger than Mark himself, smile big and presence reassuring. He finished jotting down some notes on his clipboard and came over from where he was checking Mark’s vitals.

 

“Where am I? Who are you?” Mark’s voice was rough and his throat bruised from where the attacking vampire had held him.

 

“You’re safe. You’re in the hospital wing at Im Corp. And I’m Youngjae. I’ll be looking after you.”

 

“Aren’t you a little young to be a doctor? You can’t be older than 12.” Mark was met with a booming laughter, thinking to himself that this kid definitely had the voice to fill a room.

 

“Jaebum did say you were a little snarky. I like it. And speak of the devil...”

 

The door opened then as Jaebum entered the room, his expression brightening significantly as he saw Mark was awake. He made his way over to him, taking one of Mark’s hands in his as he sat beside him on the bed. Mark felt his insides twinge with something similar to fondness as Jaebum ran calming circles along the inside of his palm.

 

“I’m glad you’re awake, little mouse. We have much to discuss. If you feel up to it.”

 

“Yeah, I’ll be ok. The vampires….the ones that got me, they’re the same ones behind the random attacks in the city aren’t they?”

 

Jaebum nodded, “Yes. We’ve been trying to figure out where exactly they came from and what they’re planning. The good news is now that we have physical identification we can start tracking the database and our connections for identities.  And hopefully now that they know we’re onto them, they’ll pull back on the theatrics. But still, in light of what’s happened, I think it would be best if you stayed here with us for a while. They know who you are and where you live and I don’t think it’s safe for you to go back there until we get this under control. I know your file stated you had no known relatives in the city but if there’s anyone you need to contact, to let them know where you are...”

 

Mark studied Jaebum’s face carefully. He could see the concern laced in his eyes and while Mark wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve the protection of someone so powerful, he was grateful for it. But there definitely was someone he should be worried about, Yugyeom… If the vampires tracking him knew anything about Mark they could easily try to retaliate by going after anyone they knew he was associated with. He had to make sure his friend was kept in the loop.

 

“I think you’re right. I’d definitely feel safer here but...there is someone I need to call. Just in case they might be in danger as well.”

 

Jaebum moved then to remove his phone from his pocket, handing it over to Mark and stepping away to speak with Youngjae to give him a little privacy. Mark dialed the numbers from memory and waited a few rings before his younger friend finally picked up.

 

_“Mark? Christ it’s like 1am. Is everything ok??”_

 

“Yeah Yug I’m fine but listen, something happened after I left. No, look, don’t freak out I said I’m fine. I’m staying at Im Corp for a while. The vampires behind those attacks came after me. _I’M FINE_. Look, I need you to stay at Jinyoung’s for a while ok? I’m not sure what these things are planning on doing or if they know about you at all but I just need to know you’re somewhere safe. They can look after you. I’ll contact you as soon as I know more ok?”

 

He hung up the line then feeling a bit better. Yugyeom would be safe with Jinyoung and BamBam. They had weapons. They could defend themselves. They’d take care of him. He looked across the room to where Youngjae and Jaebum were whispering to each other, debating over something Mark couldn’t quite make out. Eventually Jaebum sighed and shrugged at the young doctor, motioning to Mark as if to give him the go ahead. Youngjae spoke then, finally clueing Mark in what they had been discussing.

 

“So I had a thought, I know you’ve sustained quite a few injuries and while none of them are life threatening, I do have an idea for a way to move the healing process along a bit quicker. Get you back on your feet.” Mark raised an eyebrow at the boy in curiosity, nodding at him to continue. “There are properties in a vampire’s blood that speed healing along as I’m sure you’re aware. If you were to ingest a small quantity fresh from the source, it’s been shown to aid the recovery of minor injuries in a much quicker time frame.”

 

“You want me to drink vampire blood??? Isn’t that how you become one?” Mark looked at him incredulously. Back on the bed beside him Jaebum couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“No, little one. You’d have to be extremely near death and drink a much larger quantity than Youngjae suggests for that to happen so don’t worry, you won’t be sprouting fangs any time soon.”

 

“I...ok...but, who’s blood? Yours?”

 

“If you like.” Jaebum smirked as Mark couldn’t help but swallow thickly at the thought. Jaebum had already tasted him, he couldn’t help the odd part of his brain that wanted to see what it was like the other way around. He _must_ have had a concussion to even begin thinking such an odd thought. Youngjae interceded then, rummaging through the drawers of medical supplies to extract a small test tube and hand it over to Jaebum. Mark, still curiously horrified, followed the movement with steady eyes.

 

Jaebum bit softly into his own wrist then, holding the test tube under it as he let the blood drain to fill it to the brim before licking the wound causing the skin to mend. He admired his handy work and held out the tube to Mark, careful not to spill a drop. Mark accepted it with slightly shaking hands, glancing at Youngjae for confirmation. The young doctor nodded in approval and Mark couldn’t help but trust them. They had saved him after all. And with the sharp pain behind his eyes from his concussion steadily increasing the longer he was awake, the possibility of getting back on his feet quicker was too appealing to pass up. He tilted his head and let the warm liquid pour down his throat, grimacing at the taste. Iron on the tip of his tongue feeling like he’d swallowed metal.

 

“That’s awful.” He coughed as he handed the tube back to Youngjae, trying to resist the urge to gag.

Jaebum looked taken aback as he placed a hand on his chest in feigned offense. “You wound me. And after I saved your life. You know you don’t taste so pleasing either.”

 

“Don’t lie. Jackson already spilled your little secret. He said you told him I tasted like strawberry lemonade.” Mark let out what could only be described as a giggle as Jaebum’s jaw dropped open in _real_ surprise as he scoffed, muttering under his breath.

 

“I really am going to punch him in his giant mouth.” He smiled as Mark reached for his hand, the effects of the vampire blood starting to settle in. His whole body started to relax, the pain ebbing into a dulling numbness. Sleep was beginning to creep up on him again, his body needing to recharge itself to begin the healing process anew. As his eyes slipped closed he felt Jaebum’s hand light along his forehead, moving to tuck his hair behind his ear. Both of them oblivious to the fact that Youngjae was slipping out of the room, rolling his eyes and smiling to himself.

 

\-------

 

Mark awoke again much later. The clock on the wall alerting him that it was close to 5am. He’d had a fitful few hours of sleep. The visions of the vampires that had attacked him replaying over and over again until he’d forced himself awake. One could only die in so many gruesome ways, even in dreams. He was startled to realize he was alone in the room, a fact that wasn’t helping to alleviate his fear. He’d never done well in hospitals. He’d been bombarded with so much the first time he woke he hadn’t had the chance to register his situation. And now everything was sinking in on him in a heavy way that was making him feel like he might suffocate.

 

He sat up slowly, taking stock of his injuries. With a roll of his shoulders he felt stiff but barely felt any pain, thinking that the vampire blood must have been taking some kind of effect. He pulled the IV needle from his arm, standing gingerly on his legs and using the furniture around the room for purchase as he worked out the use of limbs again. He pulled himself over to the mirror on the far side of the room, carefully removing the bandage around his head. He was still bruised pretty badly and his eye was faintly swollen, but the skin around his head wound had mended itself nicely.

 

“This must be why they sell this shit for so much on the black market.” He said to himself in awe as he made his way to the door. He knew he probably shouldn’t be wandering around the building alone, but his nightmares and the hospital atmosphere were making him anxious and restless. He peered out into the hall, taking in the faint sounds of footsteps in the distance but for the most part it was quiet. It was nearing dawn soon, the vampires would be settling in for the day and most of the human staff would probably be scarce until the morning shift came in.

 

He wandered the halls of the medical wing until he’d come to an elevator, his curiosity getting the best of him as he’d hit the button to go down. Inside there was a massive amount of options, as many floors below as there was above. He wasn’t sure where to start, but an odd inkling in his gut had him pushing the button labeled “B14” 6 floors down from where he was now located. The elevator whirred into action, the exciting feeling of unknown exploration buzzing under his skin. When he’d reached the 14th underground floor, the pull in his gut lead him left, down a labyrinth of hallways darker than the ones in the medical wing. The first few open rooms he encountered made it seem like he was in someone’s home. He’d passed an office, a library of sorts, even an old style bathroom. He felt like he was in one of those macabre horror video games Yugyeom was always playing, walking through rooms that seemed like those found in a normal house but just waiting for the demons to pop out from any corner.

 

As he entered another hallway he heard the faint sound of music from behind a closed door on the right. He pressed his ear to the door and he could make out an old Chinese ballad he’d recognized from his youth. He held his hand over his mouth to stop from laughing and giving himself away when he heard a voice singing along emotionally that sounded suspiciously like Jackson. Maybe in another life the vampire had wanted to be a ballad singer, but as Mark backed away from the door he thought idly that he probably shouldn’t quit his day job.

 

Mark felt his blood start to thrum as he turned the last left, spotting a door cracked slightly ajar just at the dead end of the hall. With every step closer he felt an invisible pull, like he’d had a hook around his middle dragging him closer and closer. His heart started racing, his skin tingling with anticipation as he peaked through the crack in the doorway, curious to finally see what it was that was calling to him in from deep within his veins.

 

The sight before him made his mouth run dry. The room he’d been lead to was in fact a bedroom, and standing near the king sized bed was a very half naked Jaebum. The vampire appeared to be getting ready for bed, the sun only a short time away from rising. He’d pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it haphazardly on the floor. He ran his hands through his hair and yawned tiredly, the movement making his back muscles flex and Mark’s breath catch in the back of his throat. He moved to unbutton his pants and Mark started, already having seen more than he was sure he should have, making to move backwards. But his body betrayed him as it often did and he tripped over his own feet, flying forward into the door and face first onto the carpet of Jaebum’s bedroom.

 

The vampire spun quickly, prepared to lash out at the intruder, but as soon as he caught sight of Mark on the floor, face beet red and mortified, he couldn’t help but double over with laughter, the front view of his finely toned torso and pants halfway undone doing nothing to cool Mark’s tomato like complexion.

 

“Enjoying the show? I can go slower if you prefer?” He joked and reached for his pants again, watching Mark scramble to his feet, backing away hastily and running into the door, slamming it shut as he fumbled behind himself for the knob.

 

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t know this was- I was just- I’m so sorry. _Where is the fucking doorknob_ ….” He tried to turn to leave but Jaebum was in front of him now, hands on his shoulders holding him steady to prevent his escape.

 

“Hey, shh, it’s alright. I’m just messing with you little one. What on earth are you doing all the way down here?”

Mark tried to even out his breathing. Just being in this close of proximity to Jaebum was already calming him some, the pulling force in his body a pleasant humming now, almost feeling like he was finally at home. Like he was safe.

 

“I...couldn’t sleep. I’m not really a hospital person and I kept having these weird dreams so I just, started walking. I didn’t mean to intrude. I can find my way back upstairs.”

 

Jaebum eyed him quizzically, something beyond his dark red orbs sparkling with knowing. “Don’t be silly, you can sleep here. Maybe it’ll help if you aren’t alone and hooked up to a bunch of machines. Looks like the blood is helping already. A good day’s rest will move it along.” He ran his hand slightly over the bruise on Mark’s head taking in the slowly fading wound, Mark fighting to resist every urge in his body telling him to lean into the touch.

 

The vampire yawned again suddenly, peeking at his watch before removing it from his wrist, moving to place it on the dresser against the wall. His movements were liquid like molasses, the coming dawn starting to pull at his limbs. He pulled back the covers on the bed and motioned for Mark to make himself comfortable, the blonde crawling under the comforter tepidly, curling himself up on the far side. As Jaebum made to finish changing, Mark pulled his eyes away to stare vacantly at the ceiling, trying to keep his thoughts pure and chaste as Jaebum rid himself of his jeans and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. He moved then to grab an old blanket and an extra pillow out of the closet, starting to fashion himself a makeshift bed on the floor. Mark was surprised and baffled by this gesture, assuming that they would probably share the bed.

 

Mark rustled around for a bit trying to get comfortable before the anxiousness in his stomach started to make him feel ridiculous. He peeked his head over the edge of the bed to where the vampire was laying, looking lost in thought despite the nearing sunrise. Mark steeled himself, knowing he might be rejected but it couldn’t hurt to ask.

 

“You could- I mean, there’s no reason for you to sleep on the floor. There’s plenty of room. And I- think I might even- uh, feel better. If you were up here….with me….”  Jaebum turned his head to the small tuft of blonde hair peeking over the edge of the bed, body wrapped in covers and eyes wide and expectant. He’d blame it on the impending dawn making him weaker than usual, but it was really the cutest thing he had ever laid eyes on and he was sure he was going to send himself straight to hell. How could he possibly say no? No matter how gentlemanly he tried to make himself seem.

 

Mark made room as Jaebum pulled himself into the bed, laying the blanket over both of them as they lay face to face. Mark felt the calm settle over him again, the feeling of being near Jaebum could really start getting addicting and Mark wasn’t sure how to register any of it. Maybe it was the shock of the attack, maybe it was some weird magic because they had shared each other’s blood, but whatever it was it just felt _right_. He’d blame his healing concussion making his head weak as he watched Jaebum settle and his eyes flutter shut, taking in his soft features up close as the sunrise often was when vampires were at their most vulnerable. He couldn’t stop himself as he ran a tentative hand through Jaebum’s hair, the vampire making a pleased noise as he nuzzled against Mark’s hand.

 

Mark wasn’t sure what overcame him in that next moment but he moved forward then, using the hand on the back of Jaebum’s neck to brace himself as he closed the gap between them, brushing his lips softly against the vampire’s own for one small moment. Jaebum’s eyes blinked open slowly, his lips turning up into a sleepy cat like smile.

 

“What was that for?”

 

“For saving my life.”

  
Jaebum hummed in acknowledgement as the sun rose over the horizon, and before the daylight dragged him under he pulled Mark close, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy’s body and hoping that this wasn’t another dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhhh a kiss! Progress! I am so corny I apologize and Markbum got so unintentionally mushy but I hope you liked it and that their relationship progress made sense. It's becoming kind of a slow build but I swear eventually maybe possibly probably they gon fuck. Also we have absolutely not seen the last of Jinyoung poking his nose in other people's business. Next time on Nocturne. Stay tuned.


	6. Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so i proofread this a total of once so don't mind me if there's a error or 2 but i was giving myself a headache lol. also this was meant to be an interlude chapter hence the title. i just wanted to be indulgent and write some markbum being fluffy and smutty but then all this plot happened and....welp. anyway enjoy!

Jaebum found himself stirring awake as soon as the sun had made it’s final dip below the horizon. He yawned tiredly and stretched his heavy limbs, rolling to bury his face further into the pillow, trying to put off meeting the night a little longer. He'd had another vivid dream, one that felt so real he'd had given anything to stay buried in sleep a little longer. Mark had come to him during the night, had let Jaebum hold him in his arms as he slept. Jaebum had sworn that they’d even shared a kiss. The thought made his head race and he groaned loudly into his pillow, damning his evil subconscious for drudging up such evocative imagery. He barely knew the boy at all but fate it seemed was hell bent on tormenting him down to the very fiber of his bones. He cracked his eyes open slowly, cursing himself for leaving the light on his night stand on, the brightness at this juncture making it impossible for him to crawl back into the comfort of his dreams. As his mind churned into wakefulness he realized belatedly that he had never turned it on in the first place….

 

“Hey, you're awake,” Jaebum shot his head up from his pillow, a gleeful shock setting in as a light voice drifted over from the other side of the bed. The blonde boy who he thought had just been present in another one of his fitful dreams was nestled comfortably next to him, covers tucked under his chin and a book in his hands, looking over at Jaebum with a soft smile on his face. What happened the night before had been real. He hadn't conjured it up. He shrugged off the insistent tugging of a feeling he couldn't place deep within his chest and instead tried to slip back on some of his mysterious vampire dignity, despite the fact that he was sure his hair was probably sticking up in thirty different directions and he may or may not have had drool on his chin.

 

“Morning little one. Or should I say evening. Did you sleep well?”

 

“Much better after I came down here actually. But even then fourteen hours of sleep seems a little excessive. At least for those of us among the living.” Mark chuckled, motioning to the book in his hands. “I hope you don't mind. I may have gone poking around your library.”

 

Jaebum smiled and shook his head, pushing himself up and peeking over Mark’s shoulder, squinting at the text in his hands. “What did you pick?”

 

“Tale of the Body Thief. It’s one of my favorites.”

 

“Ah yes. The Vampire Lestat wanders the world trying to regain his humanity only to have his body stolen from him in an act of complete idiocy. A cautionary tale.” Jaebum yawned widely, stretching his arms above his head as he settled on his back against the pillows, watching as Mark shut the book and set it aside on the nightstand.

 

“Speaking of idiocy, you should really see this serious case of bedhead you’ve got going on.” The blonde scrunched up his nose with a laugh as he leaned over Jaebum, running his hands through the vampire’s hair in a vain attempt to soothe the matted mess atop his head. “The morning after sure does ruin the vampire mystique.”

 

Jaebum let out a playful growl, catching Mark by the wrists and flipping their positions, pinning his hands above his head, trying unsuccessfully to keep a scowl plastered to his face as the blonde chuckled brightly beneath him. It was music to Jaebum’s ears. “Always so cheeky and insolent. Even after I saved you from certain death and let you share my bed. Someone ought to teach you some manners.”

 

“Yeah? Who then. You?” Mark’s smile was almost dangerous. His eyes sparkling mischievously as the playful atmosphere started to shift, the unspoken tension crawling back thickly through the small gap of space between them. Mark darted his tongue out then and ran it lightly across his bottom lip. It was a split second movement that Jaebum wasn’t even sure was intentional but it had made his hair thin resolve finally give. He stifled Mark’s surprised gasp as he crashed his lips down, _finally_ getting to feel the heat of Mark’s mouth against his own. It was better than any dream his mind could manifest, Mark’s lips soft and fitting against Jaebum’s own like they belonged there. He released the boy’s hands and felt them wind themselves around his back, thin fingers entangling in his hair as he nipped Mark’s bottom lip, gaining entry and swallowing up the quiet sigh of pleasure reverberating from the boy below him as he licked into his mouth. Kissing Mark was such a heady feeling, one he could get lost in easily. He was using every amount of self restraint he had to not just tear off the boy’s clothes and take him that very moment. But he was careful as ran his hands along Mark’s body, still wary of the healing injuries as he used one hand to cradle Mark’s head gently, the other sliding under the hem of his shirt, slowly inching upward trying to take in the feeling of the warm living body below him.

 

The loud blaring sound of Jaebum’s phone cut through the heat of the moment, forcing the vampire to detach himself from Mark’s lips dejectedly, contemplating throwing the offending  device across the room and shattering it into a million pieces. He almost laughed as he heard Jackson’s voice in his head in a ridiculous replay of the scene from a few nights ago, something about business not stopping etc, the universe content on continuing to give and take away. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was Youngjae, answering immediately and suddenly realizing the urgency of the situation. The doctor’s voice flying through the receiver in a thinly covered panic as he picked up the phone.

 

_“Jaebum?? Oh thank god you answered. Listen don’t freak out but Mark’s not in his room. I came in to check on him as soon as I started my shift but he wasn’t there. I mean, he can’t have gone far but I thought-”_

 

“Youngjae slow down. He’s fine. He’s with me.” He glanced down at the blonde still catching his breath, lips kiss swollen and looking like Jaebum’s favorite kind of sin. He shook the number of filthy thoughts stacking up in his head as his friend’s voice continued to boom through the other end of the phone, firing away unanswered questions and demanding that Jaebum bring him upstairs to be evaluated this instant. He hung up the line after agreeing to Youngjae’s wishes, wanting nothing more than to be able to stay in this bed all day with Mark underneath him, exploring every inch of the body he still had yet to taste. But he had time. He leaned down to give Mark one last kiss before he dragged himself out of bed. “We’ve been summoned.”

 

Mark sat up, straightening his shirt and trying to smooth out his appearance. “Yeah. I didn’t realize what it would have looked like when I left last night. Hopefully Youngjae’s not too upset. Hey, I was wondering….if it’s not too much trouble….since I’m gonna be here awhile do you think it’s possible for me to grab some stuff from my apartment? I left my phone there and I don’t have any clothes here or anything. Also….I’m kind of starving….” As if to punctuate his last point his stomach growled on que.

“Ah yes of course...humans...food...right.” Jaebum kicked himself inwardly for not realizing what asking Mark to stay would entail. “Of course. I can take you to your apartment tonight as well. You’ll be safe with me and I have the night off. The elders more or less told me to get out of the way for a bit. At least until we make some headway on the current situation. They aren’t exactly pleased. But I can lend you something to wear for now, and there’s a shower in the bathroom in the next room if you need to get cleaned up.”

 

Mark nodded and made his way to go shower while Jaebum rummaged around in his closet for something that would fit the smaller boy all the while absolutely not thinking about what it would be like if he joined him.

 

\-------

 

After a quick visit with Youngjae that deemed Mark was well enough and on the mend, he was cleared to leave the building. Jaebum drove them in his personal car, a chic and sporty yet not very flashy model that seemed to reflect Jaebum’s own personality. Mark sat in the passenger seat, fiddling with the sleeves of the oversized sweater he’d borrowed, it’s girth engulfing his thin frame. Jaebum smiled to himself at the sight, enjoying how adorable it made the boy look.

 

They drove into Mark’s neighborhood, picking up food along the way at one of the late night noodle houses in the area to take with them to his apartment, not wanting to frighten the old couple that owned the place by bringing a vampire inside.

 

After seeing the entire floor Jaebum inhabited in the city, Mark was a little embarrassed to bring the vampire into his shabby studio apartment.  He’d made him wait outside while he’d set the food down and made quick work of shoving all of his dirty clothes and excess debris into the closet, finally inviting the vampire inside, another formality. As classically told in lore it was true vampires could only gain entry to human residency by invitation.

 

He’d turned the tv on for background noise as he’d settled into his meal, a little shaky from nerves and from going an entire day without food. He watched Jaebum walk around the room as he ate, the vampire seemingly amused at the decorum of Mark’s small living space. The coffee table in the middle of the room he was eating on, the small mattress tucked up against the far wall, the cork board above it that held some pictures of Mark with his few friends, mostly made up of his and Yugyeom’s drunken shenanigans around the city and a few of the other kids he’d met on the street. Jaebum sat next to him then, the look on his face like he’d had a thousand questions running through his head. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, not seeming to know where to start.

 

“Is it weird if I ask you to tell me a bit about your life?” The vampire’s voice was quiet and contemplative, barely above a whisper. “I mean we’ve kissed and we’ve shared blood but I can’t help but feel this is all a bit backwards somehow. Your Korean is accented so I can tell you aren’t from here but I’m curious to know your story. That is, whatever you feel comfortable telling me.”

 

Mark was a bit taken aback by the vampire’s words but he was right. He wasn’t sure how to sort out what it was that was happening between them but they seemed to be bonded on some kind of level and yet they knew nothing about one another. Mark figured he might as well start at the beginning.

 

“Well, I’m not from here originally. I was born in America but my parents died when I was a baby. I never really knew them. I grew up in the foster system until I was of age, but I never stayed in one place for too long, I guess I was kind of a trouble maker.” Mark paused, worrying his bottom lip as he was won’t to do when he was anxious, not quite sure how Jaebum would react to the rest of the story, of how he made his living, of why he even came to Korea in the first place. The vampire was looking at him politely, waiting for him to continue on his own time. The subtle and strange comforting feeling was settling in Mark’s chest again as he looked into the vampire’s eyes, telling him that it was safe, that Jaebum could be trusted.

 

“Something happened in my last foster home. One of the other guys in the house had gotten in a fight with the man housing us. He was pretty abusive to us and the other kids and it got….violent. I tried to step in before it got bad but he...I mean...we killed him. It was an accident but we- we ran. My foster brother knew people in Korea and we thought it’d be far enough away to lay low. The people he knew ran an underground gang ring of petty thieves and prostitutes and they were able to get us new identities and put us to work as compensation for getting us out of there. And two years ago my brother he just….disappeared. Nobody knows what happened to him. I looked and looked but….nothing. I stayed because I had nowhere else to go. This is the only thing I know how to do.”

 

Jaebum’s face was shadowed with concern, milling over in his head all of Mark’s story.

 

“So you-”

 

“I sleep with people for money. Sometimes I help in the bigger heists but it’s really no way to make a living. I know I can’t keep living like this. I came to be a Feeder because I thought that maybe it might make me feel less used if it was my blood and not my body. But I met you and all of this….It’s fucked up…. _I’m_ fucked up.”   

 

Mark ran his hands over his face in exasperation, trembling with restraint as the sting of oncoming tears hit the back of his eyes, not really meaning to pour out his entire life story to a practical stranger but the words just came spilling out. He’d never told anyone what had happened in America, not even Yugyeom, but Jaebum seemed to drudge something up inside himself that he didn’t even know was there. Safety maybe. Comfort perhaps. Stability in a life where he had had none. But as the vampire moved closer and pulled Mark into his arms, running a soothing hand down his back, he knew it was something he didn’t want to be without.

 

After a few moments Mark was able to compose himself, wiping the few tears that had spilled over on the sleeves of his sweater, looking up at Jaebum with a question that had been nagging at the back of his mind.

 

“How did you find me last night? What were you doing all the way out here?”

 

Jaebum looked at him pensively, the question itself setting off an entire range of thoughts he himself didn’t even have the answers to. “If I’m completely honest I don’t even know myself. I was just wandering, trying to think and clear my head. I vaguely remembered Jackson telling me where you lived and I guess subconsciously I just found my way. The attacks were happening around this area and I couldn’t help myself. Something was just pulling at me and telling me I had to make sure you were safe.”

 

“What the hell _is this_?” Mark looked up at him, eyes pleading, looking as torn and confused as Jaebum felt, the unexplainable pull between them laying heavy like chains, wrapping themselves around them so tight it was suffocating, threatening to drag them both under.

 

“I don’t know….”

 

It was Mark who moved first this time, dragging Jaebum close and pulling the vampire’s mouth to his in a kiss leaden with desperation. As if maybe their bodies could make sense of what their minds could not. He clambered into Jaebum’s lap, only breaking from the kiss long enough to pull his sweater over his head, throwing it off into the corner of the room. Jaebum felt like he was on fire, the heat from Mark’s body radiating deep into his skin. His brain was moving in twenty different directions, warring with his body’s reaction to Mark’s boldness. For once he just wanted to let himself go. To finally cave in uninterrupted to what he’d been craving ever since this beautiful creature had walked into his life and sent them both spiralling out of control.

 

He lifted Mark up by his hips and laid him gently out the bed, slotting himself between his legs in the small space afforded to them. He kissed his way down the sweep of Mark’s neck, taking his time to bite and suck lightly on the skin, relishing in the feeling of the pulse point beneath his lips and the quiet sounds the boy would make when he applied more pressure. Dipping even lower he worked along Mark’s chest, taking one of his nipples in his mouth and rolling it on his tongue, the sensation sending Mark’s hips bucking into his own, causing them both to moan in unison. Jaebum returned to the boy’s lips, kissing him with renewed fervor as he ground down, his breath coming in quick pants as they found a rhythm, the thin layers of clothing between them becoming an offending barrier from their release.

 

Mark’s hands tugged at the hem of Jaebum’s shirt, yanking it over his head, the cooling sensation of the vampire’s skin helping to quell the fire igniting inside him as they kissed. It was becoming too much to bear.

 

“Jaebum...touch me. _Please.”_  Mark whispered desperately into his mouth and Jaebum could find no reason to refuse. He moved his hands to the waistband of Mark’s jeans, undoing the buttons and running a hand over the top of Mark’s boxers, palming his growing erection tentatively. It had been so long since Jaebum had done this, especially with a human, but Mark moaned appreciatively and it gave Jaebum the confidence to continue. He slid his hand beneath the waistband as he attacked Mark’s mouth again, feeling the whimper reverberating on his tongue as he finally pulled his cock free, sliding his hand over newly exposed skin. Jaebum’s head was buzzing dizzily with want, his own erection straining painfully against the confines of his jeans as his stroked Mark in a steady rhythm, the blonde starting to writhe slowly under him, hands gripping the vampire’s biceps tightly in an attempt to ground himself.

 

He hadn’t even noticed that his fangs had run out until he’d taken Mark’s lip between his teeth, the skin catching slightly and the faint taste of blood hit his tongue. He retracted himself almost immediately, sitting up slightly as Mark looked up at him in a daze, his expression veiling an unreadable emotion passing across his face.

 

“I’m sorry I- must have lost myself for a minute.” Jaebum covered his mouth trying to will his fangs to retract but Mark just stared up at him darkly, running his tongue over the wound and smearing blood over his lip as he bit back the taste of it. Jaebum almost completely snapped, a low and dangerous thought flashing across the back of his mind. One of Mark with crimson red eyes, skin cool to the touch, and body strong enough for Jaebum to have him whole and truly with nothing held back. He pushed the thought from his mind before it hooked it claws in him, dipping down powerless to fight the urge to taste the blood left on Mark’s lips, the feeling of it mixing with saliva as he healed the wound with a kiss making him groan low from the pit of his stomach. He wanted to feel disgusted with himself at the thought of it all but he was a vampire down in his bones and he couldn’t fight his base nature and longing for blood. He was so lost in the feeling that he barely registered the words being whispered into his mouth.

 

“It’s ok. I want you to. Please...”

 

“What?”

 

“Bite me. Here.” Mark dropped his head back against the mattress and bared his throat, a posture of submission that almost made Jaebum cum immediately at the sight. He grit his teeth and looked to the boy’s eyes, trying to make sure he was in his right mind.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“ _Yes…”_  He arched up for emphasis, trying to regain Jaebum’s attention to where his hand had long stilled against his straining cock.

 

 _Fuck,_ Jaebum thought. This human was really going to be the end of him. He threw caution to wind in that moment, letting his instinct guide him as he undid the buttons on his own jeans, shucking them down around his hips and finally freeing himself from the confines. He ground once against Mark, the feeling of skin on skin intoxicating. Taking them both in his hand, he used the pre come to aid the slide of their bodies as he created a delicious friction, stroking them slowly together until the room was filled with nothing but the sounds of Mark’s crescendo of lilting moans and Jaebum’s heavy breathing echoing off the walls.

 

Jaebum knew they wouldn’t last long like this, the tension coiled too tightly from the heat between them. He sucked roughly into the sensitive skin of Mark’s neck, biding his time until the blonde was near begging, mewling delicately below him. He was close, Jaebum could tell by the stuttering of his hips and the sound of his heartbeat pumping the blood fast through his veins. With one final graze of his fangs he finally bit down. As he felt the blood pool sweetly on his tongue he heard Mark cry out from the sensation, tensing hard in his hand as he came almost on cue, spilling in ropes onto his stomach with one final long moan shaking him to his core. Jaebum followed soon after, stoking them both through their release as the blood spilled down the back of his throat, the sensation of it all at once crashing down around him.

 

As they slowly came down from their high, Jaebum nuzzled against Mark’s neck airily, licking apologetically over the abused skin to stop the bleeding. He could feel the boy’s heartbeat coming down, breathing slowly steadying itself with time. He moved to look into Mark’s eyes, kissing him once in appreciation and smoothing the hair from his face. His features were soft and blissed out, and Jaebum tried to captured the moment in his mind, to keep it with him for as long as he could.

 

Jaebum retreated to the the small bathroom in the apartment, returning less disheveled with a washcloth to gently clean the cooling cum off of Mark’s stomach and put him back together. Mark almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it, the majority of his sexual exploits ending in money being thrown in his general direction and a swift kick out the door. He felt as though he was waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Jaebum to realize how easy he was and flee the scene now that he’d gotten what he wanted. Instead the vampire was looking at him fondly as he re-dressed, cracking a light joke about how he was sorry that there was blood spilled on the sheets that would probably never wash out.

 

Mark was shaken from his reverie as he heard a knocking at the door, wondering who on earth could be there at this hour. Yugyeom already knew he wouldn’t be there. He picked his sweater off the floor and slung it back over his head as he made his way to answer it, Jaebum following behind anxiously, both of them unaware of the identity of the possible intruder.

 

“Jinyoung?” They both answered in unison as Mark opened the door, the shock on all three of their faces apparent as they took in the oddity of the situation, a million unspoken questions piled up on top of each other between them. Mark and Jaebum looked at each other incredulously as they both had no idea how the other knew the man in front of them. Jinyoung looked rapidly between the both of them as if trying to piece together why they were both sharing the same space of Mark’s apartment.

 

“What- how do you two….” Jinyoung started as he scanned the pair in the doorway with questioning eyes, his face starting to glower as his sightline settled from the faded bruising on Mark’s head to the outline of the fang marks from the bite on his neck, still fresh and a stark red in contrast to pale skin. “...you son of a _bitch_!”

 

Mark barely caught the seething look on Jinyoung’s face just before he hit the wall, the man shoving him out of the way as he moved swiftly past him, swinging in rage and connecting his fist once across Jaebum’s chin.

 

The vampire barely moved from the blow, head snapping to the side just slightly. In a move that terrified even Mark, Jaebum growled dangerously as he grabbed Jinyoung by the throat and threw him against the wall, holding him there as he struggled to loosen the the vice like grip on his neck. Jinyoung gasped for air as Jaebum bared his fangs and stared at him venomously, Mark frozen in place as this was the most primally _vampire_ state he’d seen Jaebum revert to. Jaebum spoke first, steadying his breathing and loosening his grip only slightly to give Jinyoung room to breathe.

  
“I think maybe it’s time we all had a little chat….”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wooo the plot thickens. what will happen when they find out how they all know each other? will jinyoung keep his head? does this fic even make sense anymore? why can't i smut write properly? everything answered in time. 
> 
> comments are always appreciated and loved since i adore hearing all of your feedback! <3 share it with ya friends if you like it. 
> 
> also there may or may not be a markjin olympics au one shot coming at some point but i wanted to get this out first so stay tuned for that maybe.


	7. Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hellooooo. sorry this update took so long. i got really stuck on where i wanted this to go then this chapter ended up being a little short but the important thing is i'm back on track. enjoy!

The tension in the room was so thick that Mark was starting to sweat. Jaebum and Jinyoung stood at opposite ends of the room, glaring daggers at each other, silently challenging one another to snap first. Mark sat awkwardly between them on the floor, running through the many confusing scenarios in his head on how these two completely different individuals in his life could have possibly crossed paths. He guessed the only way he was going to get anything out of them before they seemingly killed each other was to ask.

 

“So…..”

 

“Daehyun’s back. He’s been spotted in Busan.” Jinyoung spoke first, cutting Mark off before he could even start. His words flew over Mark’s head completely but they were directed at Jaebum with ire, the vampire immediately balking at the news. His demeanor shifted from aggression to an exhausted realization, as if he’d been staring at a puzzle whose pieces finally came into focus.

 

“How do you know?”

 

“We picked up some intel on a supply run. One of our sellers let slip some info about a recruitment. We think he and his newly formed little band of miscreants have joined up with the NCT coven.” 

 

“That would explain the attacks in the city. The NCT Busan coven have been trying to gain a foothold in Seoul for ages. And with someone like Daehyun whispering in their ear….also I suppose a personal vendetta might be present which would explain all of the dramatics.” Jaebum said exasperatedly. Mark finally spoke up then, all of this still beyond him.

 

“Who is Daehyun?”

 

Jinyoung scowled while Jaebum seemed to be weighing his words carefully. “He’s a vampire from my past. I...well he’s….”

 

“He’s your new boyfriend’s psycho offspring. A murderous little creep who kills for sport and lusts for power. And you know they say the apple never does fall far from the tree….” Jaebum was on Jinyoung in a second again with vampire speed, the temporary peace shattered in an instant. He threw the smaller man up against the wall, the thin plaster cracking from the impact. Jaebum’s voice was rumbling low in his throat as he spoke through clenched teeth, his hands balled in fists where they held Jinyoung struggling against the wall.

 

“I may have turned him but I am  _ NOT  _ responsible for what he became.You know that is not my way.” 

 

“Yes you are. You said it yourself. You made him what he is. You’re the reason my team is dead. My partner. My  _ best friend. _ And now you’re gonna get him killed too.” He motioned to Mark, who had long since clambered to his feet, standing a safe distance away from the scene in front of him. “You’re responsible and you have to end this or I swear to god after I finish with Daehyun I will kill you myself!”

 

“I’d like to see you try……” 

 

“Enough! Both of you!” Mark shouted, finally finding his voice.  He placed his hands on Jaebum’s arms, trying to will him to let Jinyoung go. He knew that there were still vital parts of the story he was missing out on, but it would do him no good to keep these two in a room together any longer, especially if he wanted everyone to make it out in tact. “Jaebum, we have to go. Sunrise is soon and this is no place for you to combust.” 

 

Jaebum’s posture softened immediately at Mark’s touch. He shook his head like he was trying to come back to himself, taking in the fact that the boy had been there the whole time. He removed his hands from Jinyoung, turning to Mark apologetically.

 

“I’m sorry little one. You’re right. We need to leave. Gather the rest of your things. I’ll meet you in the car. I just...need a minute to think….” Mark nodded as Jaebum pushed past a glaring Jinyoung and headed out the door. As Mark turned to his closet to throw some clothes in a bag, he could feel Jinyoung’s gaze burning holes into his back. He knew the man wasn’t going to let what he had seen tonight go without giving Mark an unsolicited earful. 

 

“Say it, Jinyoung. Whatever lecture you came here to give me, just get it out. Even though you know I don’t owe you shit.”

 

Hurt flashed across Jinyoung’s face. He should have been used to Mark pushing him away by now, but it never got any easier. And yet he masked it like he always did and pressed on. “I’m sorry about all of that. I didn’t come here to lecture you. I came to make sure you were safe. Yugyeom didn’t say much but I could tell something had happened. I just needed to be sure. Look….I don’t know what’s going on between you and that vampire and I know you won’t listen to me either way but I still….just be careful. I don’t trust him. Not after everything that’s happened. But...if he’s serious about getting rid of that monster once and for all, I want to help. I owe it to my team. I owe it to the kids I’ve trained. I owe it to you. To keep you all safe.”

 

Jinyoung was shocked as he felt Mark’s frustration deflate, the blonde moving forward to pull him into an embrace, his head resting softly in the crook of Jinyoung’s neck as he spoke.

 

“Always such a mother. That's why you left the task force isn't it? The death of your team?” Jinyoung nodded. Mark waited a beat before he continued. “I never thanked you by the way, for looking after Yugyeom during all of this. But you don’t have to worry about me. I’m more safe with Jaebum than I would be anywhere else. He won’t let anything happen to me. I promise.” 

 

Jinyoung pulled Mark’s face up to his as he pressed his lips lightly against the boy’s forehead, a smile framing his face and sadness in his eyes.

 

“I hope you’re right…..”

  
  


\--------

 

Mark slept fitfully through the next day, his mind thrumming with thoughts that woke him many times before he finally pulled himself out of bed in the early afternoon. They had returned too soon to sunrise for him to get much more information out of Jaebum, who didn’t seem like he was quite ready to breach the subject as it was. And the vampire would be spending much of the following evening in meetings with elders, the new break of information on their foe spurring talks of their next move and putting into motion a counter attack. 

 

Luckily he ran into Youngjae as he’d made his way out of the Im Corp building, desperate to get out into the sunlight for once and just spend some time outside of his head. The younger doctor had been all too eager to invite him along for lunch, he himself needing the enjoyment of company that wasn’t the undead or the actual dead. The unusual duo found themselves at a little cafe a few blocks down, eating and chatting away like they’d been doing so their whole lives. Mark found comfort in Youngjae’s booming laughter and his intelligence and youthful spirit, the two of them bonding over their lack of normal childhoods. It was hard for Mark to find many friends the way lived without the threat of ulterior motives, but Youngjae it seemed was just as much in need of the mundaneness of human companionship as he was. Ultimately though the picking curiosity at the back of Mark’s brain could be quieted no longer as he steered the topic of conversation back to the events of last night, wondering if perhaps the boy who seemed like he was close enough to Jaebum would have a valued insight on the situation.

 

Youngjae seemed to notice the shift in Mark’s demeanor, the way the blonde’s face seemed to grow more anxious, bottom lip worrying itself between his teeth as he spun the empty coffee cup in front of him with nervous hands.

 

“You alright over there? What’s on your mind? Is it Jaebum?” Youngjae seemed to be as perceptive as he was smart, Mark finally opening up to the thoughts that had been plaguing him since he’d left his apartment.

 

“Do you know anything about a Daehyun?”

 

The young doctor’s expression was taken aback, not quite expecting that line of questioning. He cleared his throat before he spoke, unsure of where to start.

 

“Yes, I know him. Well, I know  _ of _ him. He was long gone before I got to Im Corp but as I understand it’s thankful that I’ve never had a run in with him in person. Jaebum is his maker. He turned him maybe a little over two hundred years ago. I don’t know the whole story but from what I gathered it was one of his darker times. He was wandering, desperate for companionship and Daehyun was….well, drawn to the lure of death. They were together for some time before it started becoming apparent Daehyun was not what Jaebum thought he would be when he turned. The change affects people in different ways, sometimes amplifying buried traits within a person as the years pass. Daehyun was increasingly violent, growing more and more twisted as the years passed until he was completely out of Jaebum’s control. And as you and I know full well it’s not in Jaebum’s nature to kill or torture for fun and bloodlust. It never was. Jaebum told me he’d tried to end it, to rectify the grave mistake he’d made by turning him in the first place but by then it was too late. Daehyun was gone. He swept through Seoul a few years back, taking out almost an entire block of the vampire task force when they tried to confront him but Jaebum’s never been able to pin him down. I know it’s his biggest regret. Why do you ask?”

 

Mark sat silently for a few moments, letting Youngjae’s words sink in, a huge piece of insight into Jaebum’s past now laid out in front of him.

 

“He’s back in Korea. Jaebum thinks he’s probably responsible for the recent attacks on the humans at Im Corp”

 

“Oh….well that’s…..worrisome. To say the least. I guess it’s best we aren’t let out of the building at night without a watch on us if that psycho is behind all of this. Hopefully this time we’ll be able to catch him. Im Corp is a much bigger stronghold then it was the last time Daehyun was in the city. It’s practically a conglomerate at this point. We should have a better chance. Especially with Jackson in charge of the security team.” Youngjae’s face immediately brightened as he mentioned the bodyguard’s name, the quirk of his lips into a small smile giving him away. Mark was also a perceptive individual and now having a bit more information to go on, he decided to turn the focus onto less heavy topics. He narrowed his eyes at the boy across from him, grinning slyly.

 

“Jackson huh? Yeah he seems capable. Pretty sexy too, don’t you think?”

 

Mark had to smother his laughter with both hands as Youngjae sputtered into his latte, dumping a mouthful down the front of his shirt, face turning beet red as he furiously dabbed at the mess with a napkin.

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. He is simply another vampire who is good at his job. I guess he could be considered good looking if you are into that sort of-  **_stop laughing at me_ ** ! Mr. ‘Oh I can’t sleep let me sneak into Jaebum’s bed’ as if you have any room to talk.”

 

Mark was clutching his stomach as Youngjae finally joined in on his laughter, enjoying the small moment of normalcy and the company of a new friend in the whirlwind of drama of the last few weeks. Youngjae looked thoughtful and fond finally sighing in defeat.

 

“I must be more transparent than I thought. But there’s nothing going on there if that’s what you mean.”

 

“You should let him feed on you. I found that to be a good way to start a conversation.” 

 

“Not all of us are into that kinky shit. But it seems to have worked for you hasn’t it?” Youngjae turned the tables, looking at Mark with a knowing that was making a blush crawl deep from his neck to the tip of his ears. “He seems to care about you a great deal, Jaebum. I’ve never seen him react to any of his feeders like this. To anyone really. It’s usually just work work work with him. Maybe he’s finally bonded.”

 

“Bonded?” Mark looked at him perplexed.

 

“A blood bond. It’s an strange magic really. Thought to be an old wives tale but I guess I’m a bit of a romantic. I like to think it exists. When two people, at least one of them vampire, are destined for each other they share blood and a bond is created that draws the two parties together. Kind of like a fucked up undead version of soulmates.” Youngjae chuckled longingly, taking in Mark’s unreadable expression with interest as his words sank in. “It sounds silly right? But regardless….how do you feel about him?” 

 

It sounded like a simple question on paper but it made Mark’s chest seize painfully and a hundred feelings he’d had yet to place rush to the surface. He knew there was something there. He knew he’d felt a connection to Jaebum like none he’d ever experienced with another person. But he wasn’t sure with the imminent threat of death hanging over his head that he was going to be able to properly address anything he was feeling towards the vampire. And if what Youngjae said about a blood bond was true, well, it was all a lot to take in on top of everything else.  So he answered as simply and honestly as he could.

 

“I don’t know….I think I do care about him. A lot. But I guess I still have a lot of things I need to sort out.” 

 

\-------

 

Mark spent the rest of the evening tucked away in Jaebum’s library, curled up in the couch in the middle of the room pouring over the volumes of the vampire’s novel collection, trying to pass the time and escape into someone else’s life for a few hours. Lunch with Youngjae had been a welcome reprieve but it had done less to ease his already fettered mind and instead stacking atop more and more questions about his blossoming connection with Jaebum then he felt prepared to deal with. 

 

The object of his discourse wandered in some time after 1am, still donned in most of his work attire, suit jacket missing and tie hanging loose around his neck, looking exhausted. He stretched himself out onto the couch, dropping his head onto Mark’s lap without much preamble and mumbling into his thigh.

 

“Honey, I’m home.”

 

Mark scoffed, closing his book and petting Jaebum’s head lightly, running his fingers through his hair. Jaebum hummed pleasantly as he turned to look up at Mark, eyes soft yet hesitant since he knew there was still a lot of leftover conversation that needed to had after his confrontation with Jinyoung. He’d wanted to explain everything to Mark himself sooner but he’d been dragged down by the sun and then shoved into strategy meetings and work related nonsense all night. He’d have to tread through this lightly.

 

“What did you do all day?”

 

“Read mostly. Went out with Youngjae for a bit during the day. It was nice. He’s a good kid.” Jaebum made a sound of agreement, glad that the both of them could find companionship in each other. He'd hoped they’d be fast friends. “We talked about a lot of stuff actually. He even told me a bit about Daehyun….”

 

Jaebum sat up at that, turning to face Mark with a look of unease. “What did he say.”

 

Mark recounted the details Youngjae had given him, watching as Jaebum’s face stayed carefully composed but his eyes flashed with emotion as he listened. When he was finished Jaebum spoke resolutely.

 

“Everything he said is true. Daehyun was a grave mistake. One I’ve spent years trying to undo. The work I’ve been doing to try to keep peace with humans, the foundation on which this entire corporation is built, is because of that one mistake. That’s why I reacted the way I did when Jinyoung said those things. I know he was caught in the crossfire, but I would never have let something like that happen if I could have stopped it. I hope you know that.”

 

Mark felt his chest lurch tightly at the sincerity in Jaebum’s words, his mask dissolved and the sadness in his eyes laid bare, like he was pleading for Mark not to think he was some kind of monster.  He took the vampire’s hands in his, trying to reassure him.

 

“Of course I do. You’ve more than proven to me with your actions that you aren’t the same vile creature Daehyun is. You can’t keep beating yourself up about this. You’ve found him now. It’s time to end it.” Jaebum took Mark into his arms then, scooping him onto his lap, filled with relief and thankful that the boy wasn’t disgusted with him for the actions of his progeny. Mark nuzzled Jaebum’s shoulder, whispering into his neck. “So what did the elders say? What’s the next move?”

 

“We have to do a bit of reconnaissance work. See what exactly we’re dealing with and locate the nest they’ve set up in Busan. The elder’s think it’s best to move during the daytime, when the vampire contingent is underground. We’ve actually contracted Jinyoung and his kids to set off first. With their connections and experience they should prove useful. Also as much of a pain in my ass as he is, he wants to take down Daehyun as much as we all do.”

 

Mark lifted his head to look Jaebum in the eye, knowing his next words might not go over well but still he had to try. “I’ll go with them. I want to help.”

 

“No. Absolutely not.” Jaebum looked at him incredulously, as if he couldn’t believe Mark would even suggest such a thing. 

 

“Listen I run in these same circles. This isn’t the first time I’ve done something like this. Jinyoung’s going to need all the help he can get and I have to do  _ something. _ I can’t just sit in here and cower in a corner until it all goes away. You have to trust me on this.” Mark looked at him pleadingly, hoping against hope that Jaebum would understand. 

 

“What if something happens to you?” Jaebum’s voice was strained, his tone laced with a concern Mark couldn’t quite reconcile.

 

“It won’t. It’s just reconnaissance. And during the day. Jinyoung is great at what he does. He won't let anything go south. And besides, it’s not like I’m some genius protege like Youngjae. This is what I’m good at. If something happens to me it won’t really matter anyway.”

 

“Yes it  _ will matter _ ! To me it will very much matter. Why can’t you see that!?” Jaebum was near shouting, the rising hysteria in his words taking Mark by surprise. He looked like he was being torn apart, battling with his own tongue to keep the words from spilling out. But it was a losing battle. The dam had already been broken. “I can’t lose you. I  _ won’t _ lose you.” 

 

Mark stared at him in complete shock, the vampire’s words mixed with Youngjae’s story about the bond weighing heavily in his mind. He couldn’t deny it as he felt it in his veins again, the thrumming pull of energy as he shifted to straddle Jaebum’s lap and cradle his head in his hands. He felt the spark of something crackle within his chest as he leaned down to take Jaebum’s lips in his, kissing the vampire deep, trying to prove with the movement of his mouth what he couldn’t wrap around his head in words. He couldn’t rationalize to himself why they kept ending up like this. Like a string of fate had tied them together, making his body constantly  _ want _ but more terrifyingly, his heart. 

 

Mark broke the kiss reluctantly to regain his breathing, refusing to let himself get sidetracked again. He needed answers. And he wanted to go through with the mission. He opened his mouth to speak but Jaebum was already whispering words against lips, connecting them in between gentle kisses as he spoke.

 

“I will let you go. But on one condition. When you come back to me safe and sound you let me prove to you how much you matter to me. How much I want you to be mine.”

 

_Be mine._ It made Mark shiver to his core, the promise of Jaebum’s words lighting him ablaze with the feeling behind it. Jaebum wanted him.  _ Him.  _ Why, he would never understand. But he knew Jaebum was willing to make him learn. To show him all the amazing things about himself that nobody had ever bothered to uncover. He knew it was true. He felt in the way Jaebum held him, the way he protected him, the way he felt whenever they were near each other. Still he had to be sure.

 

“Youngjae said this- what’s happening between us, I know you feel it, might be because of a blood bond. Does that make any sense? Do you believe it?” He spoke softly, worried it might sound crazy but it had been nagging at him all day. Especially now. He looked at Jaebum expectantly, his heart in his throat.

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Do you love me?”

 

Jaebum smiled, taking Mark’s face in his hands as he kissed him tenderly one last time.

  
“Yes….”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> vampire love is in the air hahaha. sorry there's so much backstory and exposition but at least our villain is finally revealed. idk why it ended up being daehyun from bap but he's one of my favs and he kinda wormed his way in there. also it looks like our little youngjae has a crush. maybe if jaebum and mark make it through this alive they can all go on a nice little double date lol.
> 
> as always your thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated! thanks for reading <333


	8. Precursory

_ Motley Crew: _

_ Noun _

_ An odd and often mismatched assortment of people/a group of friends or teammates who don’t seem like they’d work well together, but somehow they do. _

 

Mark couldn’t help but grin as he took in the six other individuals occupying the conference room as he entered. It seemed he was the last one to arrive. They were tucked away on one of the higher basement floors in a lavish room designed for the kind of business briefings and conference calls Mark typically only saw in his favorite crime dramas. Yugyeom immediately appeared by his side, smiling brightly and collecting his smaller frame in a friendly embrace. They hadn’t seen each other since before the attack and both parties seemed equally relieved the other was still in one piece. 

 

BamBam waved them over from where he was lounging in one of the modest leather chairs in the center of the room, feet clad in his usual flashy heeled boots resting atop the conference room table. Next to him Youngjae picked nervously at his lab coat, glancing at BamBam like he was debating on whether or not to tell him that the table probably cost more than his own net worth. As if on cue Jinyoung walked over agitatedly from the head of the room where he was deep in conversation with Jackson and Jaebum, swatting at BamBam’s feet with his hand and muttering something about respecting the wood. It was a funny gathering of people, Mark mused to himself. It reminded him of one of those holiday films where all the eccentric cousins of different backgrounds come barrelling through and they all have to learn to coexist together for a few days.  And yet he felt oddly warm. Like maybe in another life where they weren’t prostitutes, vampires, renegades, and baby geniuses, they might have all been just a regular group of friends. Maybe they still could be.

 

“Jackson’s ready to start if you all are.” Jaebum spoke as he appeared by Mark’s side, placing a quick kiss to his cheek in greeting. It was the smallest most passive display of affection fit for a public setting, but Mark felt the blush rising to the tips of his ears as all of the eyes in the room were turned on him. Youngjae smiled knowingly, Jinyoung rolled his eyes, Jackson made a high pitched squealing sound unfit for a man of his position and a resounding  _ EWW!  _ echoed from BamBam in the corner. Jaebum cleared his throat with attempted authority and motioned for them all to sit, glaring at Jackson who merely chuckled at his embarrassment and went to take his spot at the head of the table. As they took their seats Yugyeom looked at Mark with a sideways glance of curiosity, as if he was a gossipy bird dying to know what it was his friend had been keeping from him while he’d been holed up the past week. Mark merely mouthed a quick  _ tomorrow  _ at his friend in promise of explanation and turned his attention to Jackson as he started to discuss the plan for the upcoming mission.  

 

“Alright class settle down we have work to do.” Jackson started, adjusting his tie in a mock motion to switch himself to professional mode. “We still don’t know exactly where the Busan nest is located and we can’t just go barging through the city guns blazing until we have a better grasp on what we’re dealing with. What we did learn from one of Jinyoung’s contacts is a starting point. There’s a bar in the center of the city owned by one of the coven’s daytime men. A human by the name of Bang Yongguk. It’s a cover up for the underground vampire nightclub beneath it. From what I hear there’s a lot of sketchy shit that goes on down there. Drug pushing, the selling of sex and blood, the full nine. The NCT coven isn’t as centralized as we are out here. They make most of their money pulling from smaller scattered businesses along the underground. And they definitely aren’t as civilized. They’ve been trying everything they can to get a foothold in Seoul for years so I’m assuming this is just another attempt at a power play. Still...it’s extremely important that you’re careful out there.” 

 

Jackson grabbed the remote on the table and aimed it at the screen hung on the wall at the front of the room. A man’s face flashed across it, a mugshot depicting the very man Jackson had mentioned. Bank Yongguk. He was slim with black hair framing his face just above his eyes. He was covered in a canvas of tattoos that peeked out over his collar and under the sleeves of his shirt. His eyes were dark, even in an old police photo they gleamed like he knew he still had the upper hand. He reminded Mark a little bit of Jaebum in that way. Stoic. Confident. A leader. Under different circumstances he might have even found him attractive. Jackson spoke up again.

 

“Yongguk and his men are usually spotted in the bar during the day. This is where you guys come in. What we’re looking for is intel. Go in and play the scene. Dig around a little. Anything you can gather that might be useful. If you can pickpocket one of their phones that would probably be the best case scenario. But I repeat,  _ be careful, _ don’t do anything stupid. Youngjae?”

 

Youngjae stood suddenly, slightly flustered at being called upon by the vampire, shaking his head clear to remember the reason he was there. He rummaged through his pockets with unsteady hands as he extracted a small black object that looked similar to a usb port. Holding it up for them all to see he explained.

 

“This is just a little something I’ve been working on in my off time with the tech team, it’s a data extractor. If you plug it into the charger port in any phone, it’ll extract the user log onto our database so we can essentially hack the information inside it. Text messages, emails, call logs, keycodes, we’ll have access to everything. Then hopefully we’ll be able to gather the information we need to get inside and eradicate this threat as fast as possible.” 

 

“Our Youngjae isn’t just a doctor folks, he’s a goddamn genius.” Jackson clapped him on the back beaming with pride, Youngjae muttering to himself that he was nothing of the sort and turning redder by the second. He took his seat back beside Mark as the blond eyed him with a gentle mocking interest at his interaction with the vampire, earning himself a kick under the table for his inquiry. Jackson thankfully didn’t seem to notice the exchange as he set to wrap up the meeting.

 

“Those are your orders kids. I’ve sent the pictures of the men of interest as well as the location of the bar to your phones, you set off in the afternoon. Class dismissed.” BamBam and Yugyeom threw invisible papers in the air as they made their way to leave with Jinyoung, Yugyeom reminding Mark that he promised to fill him in on everything the next day. Jaebum and Jackson had some business to clear up before the sun rose, leaving Youngjae and Mark to soak in the aftermath of the information that they’d been given. 

 

“Are you nervous at all?” Youngjae asked as he took a seat on the edge of the table.

 

“Not really. We’ve done this kind of thing before, Yugyeom and I. I’m sure BamBam and Jinyoung have too. Gotta kind of get used to this stuff working the way we do.” Mark replied. Youngjae nodded solemnly. He looked like he was mulling over something, words sitting on the edge of his tongue like he wasn’t sure he should say what came next.

 

“I’m not even sure I should be telling you this, but it might help you guys with the mission and you should really have all of the facts. I overheard Jaebum and Jackson talking earlier. This Yongguk guy well, he’s known to…. _ indulge _ ….I mean, in sex. With prostitutes. Male ones….” Youngjae scrunched his face up as he shot a pained glance at Mark, trying to make sure he was following his line of thought. Mark almost wanted to coo at his innocence. “I don’t want you or the guys to do anything crazy but that might be a way you can...you know….engage or something. Here, I wanted to give this to you just in case.” 

 

Youngjae reached back into his lab coat pocket again and this time took out a small vial of clear liquid. To Mark’s untrained eye it looked like a simple tube of water. Youngjae explained.

 

“It’s a sleeping draught. I concocted it to help my patients rest. It works fast and should do the trick if you are able to get one of them alone and slip it into their drinks, get the phone information and get out of there without anyone being the wiser. Just as a backup plan maybe. Don’t say anything to Jaebum though. He’ll kill me if he even knew I told you any of this.” 

 

Mark nodded as he took the vial and slipped it into his jacket pocket, grateful to his friend for the extra information. He felt much more confident now that he might be able to put himself to good use with a solid game plan. 

 

“Thanks ‘jae. I’ll be careful I promise.”

 

\-------

 

Mark was thrumming with nervous energy later that night while he set about getting ready for bed in the bathroom adjacent to Jaebum’s room. As he washed his face he couldn’t help but think about how all the time spent underground was making him paler than usual. Maybe he’d stick his head out the window the entire drive up to Busan to soak up some much needed vitamin d before he ended up resembling a vampire himself. He ran a hand over the fading blue and grey patchwork on his temple. He was almost completely healed from the attack by now but the sallowness of his skin made what remained stand out brightly like paint smeared across a stark white wall. He sighed as he trailed his hand lower, running his fingers across his neck. The pinprick scars from Jaebum’s fangs faint but gleaming ever so slightly when the light hit just right. 

 

He’d been sitting with Jaebum’s words for almost a day now, the vampire’s confession digging deeper and deeper until it set it’s claws into the forefront of Mark’s mind. He hadn’t said anything back. He hadn’t been pressured to. But it was starting to eat at him slowly in an unpleasant churning way that he was sure would consume him whole if he couldn’t contain it first. Love was still a foreign concept to him. He tried to imagine it in his mind, tried to grasp it in his hands but every time he felt like he was hitting a wall. He knew he cared for Jaebum, knew that there was something special between them that he couldn’t quite stamp a label on, but he still felt tethered. Tethered to his past. To the way he was raised up. To the many experiences and people he’d come across that had ground into him time and time again that he wasn’t worth love or effort. Human affection was fleeting and would be gone in an instant and people like him had to put up these walls to survive. He was constantly at war with his own demons and no matter how much he tried to lock them away, every so often they bubbled to the surface.

 

He hadn’t even felt himself start to cry until he noticed a few errant teardrops hitting the sink. He wiped furiously at his face, angry at himself for even getting caught up in his head like this. The mission tomorrow was hanging over him and he needed to get himself together if he was going to be at all useful. He gripped the edge of the sink and closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths, pulling back into himself and focusing on re-adjusting his features into the mask he wore so regularly to hide his emotions as he tried to find his center.  

 

While he was trying to calm himself down, his eyes flew open as a pair of arms wrapped themselves securely around his waist, causing whatever zen he was trying to find flying out the window as he nearly jumped out of his skin. He clutched tightly at his chest in surprise as he swung his other arm back to elbow at the offending creature behind him with all of his strength, achieving nothing as Jaebum laughed into his neck. The vibrations caused Mark to flinch away ticklishly and twist himself in the vampire’s hold, meeting him face to face and giving him one last thwack on the chest for good measure.

 

“God you scared the shit out of me! Don’t do that damn vampire lurking thing. Make some noise so I hear you coming.” He pouted in a way he tried to make intimidating, but he knew he must just look like a self indulgent baby. Especially with the way Jaebum continued to laugh as he kissed at Mark’s protruded bottom lip.

 

“I’m sorry little mouse, you’re just adorable when you’re jumpy. Plus I like the sound of your heart when it accelerates.”

 

“Yeah? There are better ways you can make that happen smart guy.” Mark blinked mischievously as he looked up at Jaebum through his eyelashes and licked his lips. Annoyance he may not be able to pull off, but seduction was a look he knew well and good. Jaebum smirked before taking the bait easily, pressing Mark back against the sink as he claimed his lips in a languid kiss. Mark sighed softly, letting the stress of the day drain from his body as he held Jaebum close. Whatever doubts and fears he might have had about his feelings festering in his mind, they always seemed to dissipate when Jaebum was near. Whenever he could hold him, touch him, feel the comfort his presence provided. His reprieve was short lived though, as Jaebum pulled back to rest his head against Mark’s, stroking his thumb lightly along the side of his face.

 

“Quit trying to distract me. I came here with an agenda.” He laughed as Mark used their close proximity to continue stealing kisses between words, trying to will Jaebum’s mouth back to his.

 

“I’m not your agenda?” Mark pouted again, trying to feign offense.

 

“Yes love, you are. But this is about something else.” Jaebum took in Mark’s features fully then, finally catching the redness that tinted the edges of his eyes as he framed his face in his hands with worry. “Were you crying?”

 

Mark shook his head, reaching for an easy lie to avoid further lines of questioning for a conversation he wasn’t prepared to have just yet. “No, I’m fine. I was washing my face and had a bit of a reaction to the soap is all. My skin gets a little sensitive. So what did you need to talk about?”

 

Jaebum didn’t look entirely convinced but apparently whatever was at the forefront of his mind was taking precedence. He took Mark’s hand and lead him into the bedroom so they could sit beside each other on the bed. Pensively the vampire started to speak, trying to structure his words in a way that he hoped wouldn’t be offensive or demanding.

 

“You’re healing well and almost completely so but you, what I mean is- you still look a bit….peaky.” Mark coughed back a laugh, trying to not ruin Jaebum’s train of thought by chiming in that he himself had though the very same thing mere minutes ago. “I had wondered if you might consider taking a little more of my blood. Especially with you all being out tomorrow in enemy territory I just...want to know you’re in good condition.” 

 

While this request was not exactly what Mark was expecting, it was something he considered seriously. He could definitely use the added strength it provided that was a given. But a tiny part of him was curious to find out how taking more of Jaebum’s blood might affect their bond. Would it have no effect? Or would it strengthen it? Would it maybe help him get a stronger grip on his feelings if it was amplified? Either way he could really see no downside. Other than the fact that it didn’t exactly have the most pleasant taste.

 

“Yeah, okay. I think you’re right. It couldn’t hurt to take every precaution. So….how should we….do it.” He stuttered nervously, his words catching in his throat as Jaebum made to roll up his shirtsleeve. His fangs extended at will (Mark wasn’t sure he’d ever quite get used to that) as he brought his wrist to his own mouth and bit down, creating a small bite that had begun pooling with small droplets of blood along the outline of his veins like tiny red stars on his skin. Jaebum extended his wrist to Mark while speaking simply.

 

“Suck.”

 

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve heard that one.” Mark’s scoff bubbled into a short laugh, trying to defuse the absurdity of the request and the awkward reversal of their positions. He steadyed himself with both hands on Jaebum’s forearm as he finally pressed his lips against the bite and drank. 

 

He tried to bite back his immediate gag reflex as the taste of copper hit his tongue. The coolness of Jaebum’s skin mixing with the warmth of blood creating a stark contrast of sensation against his lips. He glanced over while he drank, trying to gage Jaebum’s reaction to see if this was as weird for the vampire as it was for him. He was stone faced with eyes closed, brows knitted together in concentration and mouth in a hard line. Mark couldn’t help but wonder idly how often it was that vampires found themselves in this role reversal. Did they ever drink from each other? What would that even be like? He had a lot of questions sweeping into his mind as he started to grow a bit light headed, Jaebum’s eyes finally blinked open as he placed a hand on the nape of Mark’s neck to stop his movement, taking his wrist back to his own mouth and closing the wound.

 

Mark felt the dampness of an errant bit of blood still lingering on his lips. He made to move to wipe it with the back of his hand but Jaebum stopped him midway, the vampire moving forward to clean the excess with a swipe of his tongue, catching Mark’s mouth with his in the process. It was oddly erotic, Mark thought, and he’d be more concerned with his reaction to the gesture if he wasn’t currently trying to lick his way into Jaebum’s mouth in an attempt to pick up where they had left off in the bathroom.

 

“Will you let me distract you now?” He whispered against Jaebum’s lips. He was feeling bold, the vampire’s blood beginning to course through his body prickling like static through his nerve endings. Jaebum moved in agreeance to press him down against the mattress, the feeling of silk against Mark’s back sending shock waves through his body. The room felt like it was tipping sideways, the magic in the blood thrumming in veins and beginning to make him feel drunk with power and lust. It felt as if every one of his body’s natural reactions towards Jaebum were amplified ten fold, his breath coming in quick pants between their mouths as they kissed for what seemed like an eternity, neither of them seeking to break the connection of energy sparking between them.

 

Soon though Jaebum broke the kiss to sit up suddenly as he made to remove his tie and pull his shirt swiftly over his head, the flashing in his eyes and the movement of his hands with barely noticeable tremors the only indications that the blood exchange seemed to be having it’s own effect on him as well. Mark threw his own shirt to the floor and pulled the vampire back down onto him, crashing their mouths together again. He was desperate to feel skin on skin contact and the electric conduction of the bond as it sent his eyes fluttering shut and a low moan pulling from his lips as he arched up into the body above him. Jaebum was so close but not close enough, cool to the touch on Mark’s overheated skin as he ran his hands along his back, struggling for purchase before he fell apart at the seams.

 

“I want you.  _ All _ of you.” Mark’s sudden words came crashing through Jaebum’s hazy brain like a frieght train. They were treading a very dangerous line. One Jaebum wasn’t sure he wouldn’t go barrelling across once given permission. The blood bond was wrapping itself too tightly around his senses and he knew as much as he wanted to give himself to Mark completely, he wanted to do it right. Without the magic of a blood exchange. And without the looming threat of sunrise constraining their time before he was dragged under the veil of sleep. He pulled himself up onto his forearms as he stroked the side of Mark’s face, the haze running through him making the blond so beautiful and responsive to his every touch as he mewled softly and leaned into Jaebum’s palm.

 

“In time, love. The sun is rising soon and I want to do this right.”  Mark whined in argument  against his hand. Jaebum spoke lowly, leaning in to lick along the shell of Mark’s ear as he continued “Besides, you need your strength for the mission tomorrow. And when I finally have you I assure you, you won’t even be able to leave this bed when I’m done.” He snaked his hand down to grip the hard outline of Mark’s erection through his pants to punctuate his statement, a delicious moan resounding in his ears for his efforts.

 

“If you don’t touch me I’m going to explode.” Mark dug his fingertips into Jaebum’s back as he tried to stop himself from writhing uselessly into his hand. He felt the vampire actually  _ chuckling  _ in his ear and had he not needed to cum so desperately, he would have turned around to smack him in the back of the head. Jaebum seemed to sense his ire as he pulled back to kiss him in placation, taking in Mark’s easily disheveled appearance with desire and adoration flickering like fire behind his eyes.

 

“You are so beautiful like this. I’m sorry little one, I’m just trying to hold on to rationality. But….perhaps a compromise….” 

 

Mark almost cried with relief as Jaebum smirked deviantly, moving his head downward to kiss along the expanse of Mark’s chest, stopping only to suck light bruises into the skin of his hip bone just above the waistband of his sweatpants. He hooked his fingers into the material and pulled down just enough to free Mark’s cock from it’s confines, the blond sighing heavily as the air finally hit his exposed skin. Jaebum licked tentatively at the pre cum pooling at the tip, glancing up at Mark for confirmation. It was the most wet dream inducing sight Mark had ever seen. 

 

“Watch your fucking fangs.” He quipped through the fog of lust addling his brain, trying not to trip over his tongue as he spoke to retain some pride. Jaebum’s eyes crinkled with mirth at his defiance before leaning down to take Mark into his mouth, wiping away any dignity the boy had left as Mark choked back a whine and fell back onto the pillows. Jaebum made quick work of unravelling him, working his mouth like someone with the many years of experience he had. Mark moaned helplessly as Jaebum swirled his tongue around the head of his cock before taking him down to the back of his throat, stroking what his mouth couldn’t reach with a skilled hand, using the other to pin his hips easily to the bed to maintain control. Mark was already embarrassingly close, feeling every flick of the vampire’s tongue and sensation of his lips all the way down to his bones. The magic of the bond hummed pleasantly through his veins, finally chasing the completion it made Mark crave. Before long he began to feel the heat pooling low in his body ready to snap. He ran a hand through the back of Jaebum’s hair to tug gently, whimpering in warning, unable to turn his brain on to find the words. The vampire looked up at him with a challenging expression, humming in compliance as he took Mark to the base one last time. The sensation ended him immediately, voice cracking as he cried out and finally hit his release, spilling down the back of Jaebum’s throat. The vampire stroked him through his orgasm, swallowing every drop before pulling back with an obscene pop.

 

Mark let out a weak moan as Jaebum tucked him back into his sweats, pulling the vampire to him to capture his lips in a grateful kiss. He could taste himself on the tip of the vampire’s tongue but he couldn’t bring himself to care, too blissed out as he felt the energy running through him finally settle, exhaustion seeping in and taking it’s place. He hadn’t even realized his eyes were closed until he felt Jaebum pull the blanket around them, moving Mark to settle against his chest.

 

“What about you?” Mark muttered as he tried to lift his head, belatedly realizing he should probably return the favor.

 

“Don’t worry about me, little one. Sleep. The sun is coming soon, you need to rest. You can owe me one.” He felt Mark laugh as he smiled and spoke against his chest. 

  
“You’re gonna be the death of me...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i had meant to fit the recon stuff into this chapter as well but the it kind of got away from me lol. but it's better to save the mission for it's own separate thing anyway. this one was a fun chapter to write because i got to ask myself very important questions like "do you think vampires have a gag reflex?" lol. also I can't believe I've been working on this for over a month! time flies.
> 
> anyway as always i hope you liked it! please leave a little comment and let me know what you think. thank you all so much for reading!


	9. Reconnaissance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay I finally updated! Sorry this took so long but I went on vacation then kind of lost my rhythm. I did finish that Markbum one shot for Mark's birthday though so hopefully that kept you occupied for a bit while waiting. If you haven't read it yet you can check it out [Here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7944346).
> 
> Also hopefully everyone knows who Yongguk is but in case you don't [He's this](http://i.imgur.com/NQUw6hz.jpg) [beautiful guy](http://data.whicdn.com/images/119079449/superthumb.jpg)

The sun in Busan hung high over Mark’s head he stood with his arms outstretched, trying to soak in the warmth of its rays. Waves crashed into the rocks surrounding him before racing up the sand and pooling at his feet. The cool seaside air felt fresh in his lungs. It had been so long since he’d spent any significant time outside during daylight hours, even longer since he’d been near the water. They had arrived early, taking the train to avoid traffic and allowing themselves a few peaceful hours before the city started bustling and they could move forward with their plan.

 

A few yards away BamBam and Yugyeom chased each other along the beach, kicking sand up with their heels and goading a murderous looking Jinyoung by pretending to throw him into the tide. Mark smiled to himself. For a few peaceful moments he could pretend he was in someone else’s timeline. He could imagine they were just a group of old friends enjoying a beautiful day without a care in the world. Like they weren’t about to put themselves in a dangerous situation because of the lives they led. Like they were normal.

 

He’d blame it on the view of the sea making him feel more sentimental than usual but Mark couldn’t help his mind from wandering to a place where he wished Jaebum were beside him. How would the vampire look if he were allowed to be framed by the sun? Probably even more beautiful than he did under the moon. He’d have to visit here again with him some time. At night he heard they sometimes held festivals by the pier. The fireworks could be seen from every corner of the city. Mark felt the magic in his veins hum pleasantly at the thought. Having Jaebum’s blood a second time had definitely increased the magnitude of their bond. Mark felt like he could almost sense Jaebum by instinct. If he closed his eyes and really centered in on him he felt calm and sated, lulled by the knowledge that the vampire was now tucked deeply in sleep. He was sure that the bond was also what had woken Jaebum just as he was about to leave to meet the others, pulling him awake despite the sun. He’d drowsily slurred a goodbye, kissing Mark once and fighting against the pull of the day to warn him again to be careful.

 

The blood had also healed him completely, Mark waking in the morning feeling more strength than he had in ages. The bruising was gone and his skin had taken on a much healthier looking pallor. His senses felt sharp and ready for whatever might come next. It was the first time in a long time he had felt truly happy.

All too soon though he was tugged from his reverie, Jinyoung calling out to him over the wind that they should be on their way. Mark took one last longing look at the crystal blue expanse in front of him, dusting the sand off his discarded shoes as they made their way towards the road.

 

\-----

 

The Parlour was a modest looking bar tucked in the central part of downtown Nampodong, Busan’s busiest entertainment district. Jinyoung and Mark stood across the street, taking in the surroundings of the early afternoon traffic. Tourists wandering the streets taking pictures of the sights and locals well on their way to their destinations. Jinyoung had sent BamBam and Yugyeom on an errand to speak to their supplier for any info they could gather, leaving himself and Mark to enter the bar first.

 

“I’ll go in now. Wait about 15 minutes then come in after me. It’s better if they don’t know we’re together. Remember to stick to the plan. These men are dangerous. Just get whatever info you can and let’s get the hell out of here.” Mark nodded as Jinyoung spoke, watching wearily as his friend strode across the street and disappeared into the bar. He patted the inside of his jacket pockets, double checking that the usb port and the sleep serum were tucked safely inside. He wasn’t sure why he felt so nervous. He’d done missions like this dozens of times. He knew how to play the game. But something was still picking at his nerves like a splinter under his skin that he couldn’t quite reach. Perhaps it was because all those times before he had had nothing to lose. Now, as much as it surprised him to think on it, he had something he wanted to get back to. Something, _someone,_ waiting on him to make sure he got home alive.

 

Mark tried to shake himself and clear his head. He had to focus. He checked his watch, enough time had passed after Jinyoung left to allow him to enter the bar. With one deep breath he crossed the street, and prepared to play the game.

 

The interior of the bar had a modern gothic feeling, the walls and the main station carved out in a dark polished wood, the chairs at the tables and booths lined in a smooth black leather. It gave the aura of the old and the new coming together in intersection. Mark took a quick look around, ordering a beer from the waitress and seating himself comfortably in one of the corner booths with a clear view of the entire room.

 

It was early still so there weren’t many occupants at the moment, just a few scattered day drinkers here and there picking at their food and chatting amongst themselves. He spotted Jinyoung at the bar, sipping on a whiskey and engaged in casual conversation with the bartender. His eyes then fell upon a group of men huddled together in the corner across from him laughing raucously and arguing over a game of cards. It looked so quintessentially _Godfather-_ esque Mark almost wanted to laugh. He recognized a few of the men from the profiles Jackson had sent during the meeting, and right at the head of the table directly in his line of sight was his main target, Bang Yongguk.

 

Shallowly Mark mused that his mugshot did him no justice. He was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. Thick black hair gelled out of his eyes, his button up shirt undone just enough to catch a glimpse of the canvas of tattoos that covered his chest. An air of relaxed authority around him that felt almost like a steady gravitational pull. If this had been an entirely less dangerous environment and had Mark not had his own fully capable brooding ball of handsome waiting on him back in Seoul, he might have done what he was about to do just for fun.

 

“Attractive, isn’t he?” The waitress laughed from behind her hand as Mark startled from his thoughts, the woman following his line of vision as she set his drink down in front of him. “He’s the owner, you know? I wouldn’t do more than look though. A nice kid like you shouldn’t get caught up in that bear trap.”

 

“How do you know I’m nice?” Mark smirked, eyes glinting mischievously as the waitress returned his gaze with question. He had turned the switch successfully, slipping into the role he often played when he was working, sultry and mysterious with a confidence he’d taken years to perfect. “When he’s done with his drink send him another. Be sure to tell him who it came from.”

 

The waitress looked skeptical but gave him a polite bow and made her way back to the bar. Mark noticed one of the men from Yongguk’s table chatting Jinyoung up as he waited for his drink. _Good_ , Mark thought. Jinyoung was naturally charming and easy to talk to and as he watched the two of them take a shot together, he thought the plan seemed to be going better than he’d hoped.

 

Mark watched anxiously as the waitress sauntered over to Yongguk’s table with the drink he’d sent. He adjusted his jacket and leaned back in his seat, nonchalantly sipping his beer and trying to look as appealing as possible. He had hoped Youngjae was right about Yongguk’s penchant for men or he was about to make an incredible fool of himself.

 

The woman put the drink down and whispered in Yongguk’s ear, motioning her head towards Mark before leaving. The moment of truth. They locked eyes and Mark immediately felt the thrill of the situation course through his veins. Yongguk’s eyes were dark and dangerous as he looked across the room contemplatively, making Mark suppress a shiver. With deceptively steady hands Mark raised his glass in a toast towards the older man, quirking his eyebrows suggestively and taking a sip. He was shocked and delighted to see a slow grin sweep across Yongguk’s face as he returned the gesture before turning back to man beside him who was actively trying to get his boss to finish the card game. Mark let out a short sigh of relief. He’d only been out of the game for a few weeks but he was relieved to see he still had it. He’d laid the bait, now all he had to do was wait for the catch.

 

Fortunately it seemed he wouldn’t have to be waiting long. By the time he finished his beer he looked up from where he was scrolling through his phone to another of the same drink being set on the table to replace it. Mark looked up shyly as Yongguk slid into the booth next to him, the taller man taking up the space between them like he owed it. He studied Mark in way that made his ears run hot, drinking in his features up close with an intense gaze before he finally spoke.

 

“You’re pretty bold. You must be new in this area. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here before.” Yongguk’s voice was deep and raspy like it had been run rough with gravel, a perfect fit to the visual of his image. He took a sip of his drink while he waited for Mark’s response, setting it on the table as Mark’s mind immediately flashed to the serum in his pocket. He’d have to play this for the perfect opportunity.

 

“I’m not from here. I just moved here from Seoul. Your reputation proceeds you though.” Mark toed the line carefully.

 

“Does it now? So you’ve heard of me?” Yongguk spoke lowly, moving closer to run his hand through Mark’s hair and tuck an errant strand behind his ear. “Is this business or pleasure?”

 

Mark played his role coolly, leaning into the touch and batting his eyes seductively. The last words Yongguk had spoke were part of the code. A learned batch of phrases used for people who had been on both ends of the prostitution ring at some point to engage in the beginnings of a deal.

 

“Hopefully both, if you’re up for it.” Mark set his hand lightly on Yongguk’s knee, tracing his thumb along the inseam of his jeans as he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. A shameless move, but men were easy and he was good at his job. Yongguk’s eyes followed the movement darkly as he started to laugh. It was a deep timbre that rattled in Mark’s ears.

 

“You’re trouble. But lucky for you I happen to have a bit of time to kill. And you are stunning. Much prettier than the others I’ve had recently.”

 

“How romantic.” Mark joked, laughing in the way that made him seem adorable and he knew drove many crazy. From the look on Yongguk’s face he knew he had him; hook, line, and sinker. Now all he needed was a little distraction.

 

As if on a cue that was sent from the gods themselves, Yongguk’s phone started to ring. He sighed heavily as he reached into his pocket, annoyed to have the moment broken so abruptly. He checked the caller id and shot Mark a placating look.

 

“I have to take this. Give me a minute. Then we’ll go somewhere more private and discuss terms.” He winked as he finally picked up the call, moving to stand and walk outside the bar. Mark assumed it must have been about business if he needed to be alone, but he seized the opportunity. He slid further into the corner of the booth to avoid being seen as he removed the serum from his pocket.

 

He shot a quick look back to the bar to check on Jinyoung’s progress and to also make sure that he wasn’t being watched. His friend was still enveloped in conversation with one of Yongguk’s men, the pair laughing at something the man was showing Jinyoung on his phone. Mark prayed that Jinyoung would hopefully be able to get his hands on it. But it seemed to be going well. He returned to his own mission at hand and unscrewed the cap of the serum, quickly and discreetly pouring the contents into Yongguk’s drink. He watch as the clear contents mixed perfectly with the alcohol, leaving no trace of their presence. Now all he had to do was hope that he would drink it.

 

A few moments later Yongguk reappeared, tucking his phone into the front pocket of his shirt and extending his hand out to Mark.

 

“Shall we?” Mark nodded and took his hand, sliding himself from the booth to stand. He was about to subtly grab Yongguk’s drink in an attempt to hand it to him when he felt his arm being twisted behind his back, crying out as his body was slammed face first roughly into the table in front of him. He tried in vain to push himself up but Yongguk’s hand moved to grab him by the neck and hold him in place. He was immobilized with fear when he felt the cool metal of a gun barrel being pressed against his temple, the worst case scenario suddenly becoming very real.

 

It had all happened in the blink of an eye, Jinyoung was on his feet, his own gun unsheathed and pointed at Yongguk. The man beside him at the bar with his own weapon trained at Jinyoung. The gang surrounding the card table were at the ready, shouting at the patrons not involved to get the hell out. The atmosphere was thick with the tension of the stand off and ready to break with the slightest movement. Mark was struggling to catch his breath, his mind whirling through a thousand possible scenarios on how this could have gone so awry so quickly and how they might be able to salvage their lives.

 

He felt Yongguk’s laughter reverberate through his bones as the man finally spoke, voice tinged with rage, the tone biting in Mark’s ear as time stood still.

 

“You almost had me. But you know who that was on the phone? A tip off from one of our suppliers. I guess they were one of yours as well but it appears as though you’ve been played. You wanna know what they said?” Mark felt the hand behind him grab a handful of his hair as he was yanked backwards. Pain shot through him as his neck strained but he willed himself to not make any noise. Jinyoung swayed as he made to move forward, Yongguk’s gaze shooting up at him with the cocking of the gun against Mark’s head freezing him in place. “They said some street rats from Seoul were snooping around for information. Said to be wary of anything out of the ordinary poking around our turf. And you know what was unusual? You. Nobody approaches me like you did without a reason. But you were good. I was even going to give you the benefit of the doubt if this went differently but judging by your friend’s reaction here it appears that I was right. Now the question remains, what the fuck are you after?”

 

Mark could see Jinyoung’s face flash with regret at Yongguk’s words. The realization that his own resources and instinct had betrayed him steadily sinking in. Slowly he lowered his gun, setting it on the floor and raising his hands in submission. He looked at Yongguk with pleading eyes.

 

“Let him go. I’m the one who’s behind this. I’ll tell you whatever you need to know just release him. He didn’t know anything I just hired him to do a job. He doesn’t have anything to do with this.” Mark balked at Jinyoung’s lie, stunned that his friend would try and sacrifice himself to get him out of there. He was about to say something in defense when the front door of the bar swung open, all the heads in the room snapping towards the intrusion as BamBam and Yugyeom took in the scene like a shot to the chest.

 

All of a sudden the wheels in Mark’s mind finally clicked into place. Instinct took over and he had to act fast. Gathering whatever strength he had he pushed up from the table, using the momentary surprise of their entrance to swing his elbow behind him. He connected it with Yongguk’s face and sent the man stumbling back into the wall behind him, gun dropping to the floor from the impact. With quick hands Mark moved to spin around and snatch the phone from his pocket, Yongguk regaining himself quickly to tackle Mark to the floor as the blonde threw the phone towards Yugyeom with all of his might.

 

“ _RUN!!!_ ” Jinyoung shouted as the guns in the room turned towards the door to open fire. Thankfully BamBam and Yugyeom were quick on their feet, bolting from the scene with seconds to spare with Yongguk’s phone in hand. Yongguk shouted at his men to follow them as he pinned Mark to ground with his knees on his chest, the ones that remained helping to restrain a struggling Jinyoung. Mark heard the crack as one of the goons connected a blow to Jinyoung’s face, the panic in his body reaching the point of suffocation.

 

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Yongguk’s voice tired and steady now that they’d secured the upper hand. “We’re keeping them alive. Let’s take them back to the base. The sun is setting in a few hours. I’m sure Daehyun will want to do the _questioning_ himself.”

 

The inflection on Yongguk’s words made Mark tense with dread down to his core. _Daehyun._ He knew what the vampire was capable of. He’d be lying to himself if he wasn’t terrified at the mere thought of what could be in store for them. But he had to stay strong. For himself. For Jinyoung. He closed his eyes and prayed to any god that would listen that the kids would make it back to Seoul without being caught. They had the information stored in Yongguk’s phone. If they could get back to Jaebum in time….he had to hope…..

 

\------

  
The second the sun dipped below the horizon Jaebum bolted upright. He was covered in sweat and pulled from sleep like a terrified child waking up from the worst nightmare of it’s life. The unsettling feeling crawling over his skin like spiders setting a nest in his brain. _Something was very wrong_ …..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please please leave a comment and let me know how it came it out. I hope you liked it. I went a million ways on how this should shake down but this seemed to make the most sense. Thank you all so much for reading I promise it won't take me a million years for the next part. Look forward to evil!Daehyun finally making an appearance. I can't wait to write him.


	10. Repercussion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god i am the literal worst. i have no excuse for making you wait so long except i'm lazy and terrible and life etc. thank you so much for being patient. i should really never do a chaptered thing again lmfao.
> 
> there's a wee bit of violence but nothing that drastic. it's blood and sadistic vampires after all.
> 
> also there's baby scene breaks in there as i was trying to write 2 scenes at once with an over the phone convo and it was a mess. i hope it makes sense. but enjoy!

The clock on the wall ticked mercilessly, each passing movement of hands a never ending circle seeming to stretch the minutes out to what felt like a lifetime. Jaebum paced the lobby of the 13th basement floor with a restless ire, having been long since kicked out of the meeting room for failing to keep his emotions in check. The sterile white walls and furniture of the waiting area stood taunting him with their clinical perfection. It was all he could do to not overturn everything in his path so the exterior around him matched the war raging rampant inside him.

 

He looked as much of a mess as he felt, forgoing his usual professional work attire for whatever closest articles of clothing he could find as he raced upstairs the second he had risen. He had tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to get a handle on himself. The only thing keeping him grounded in any semblance of reality was that if he pulled deep into his mind, he could sense the gentle humming of the blood bond indicating to him that Mark was still alive.  _ But for how long?  _

 

Jaebum ran his hands through his matted hair in an attempt to gather his thoughts. How had he let this spiral so far out of his control? He had been a vampire prided on his steel reserve and work ethic; he had risen through the ranks with alarming ease and been poised to take the lead of one of the strongest covens in the country. And now here he stood, a volatile wreck over a human he had known for mere weeks, an old chink in his near perfect armor rearing it’s head after almost two hundred years. The game was the same but the players were different this time. Mark was a mistake he would make again and again gladly without a second thought. Daehyun was a mistake he would hold with regret for the rest of eternity.  Especially if this all played out like he so desperately hoped that it wouldn’t.

 

Yugyeom and Bambam sat in silence on one of the couches in the far corner watching the vampire pace circles into the floor, neither one of them voicing their concerns out loud for fear of stepping in the path of his barely contained rage. The two had returned to Seoul unharmed albeit shaken to the core with worry for their captured friends. They’d handed over any information they had to Jackson and the tech team, now all they could do was wait.

 

As if on cue a door down the long hallway opened and shut, all three of them snapping to attention as Jackson emerged into the lobby. Jaebum stopped mid-step and turned to make a beeline towards his bodyguard, grabbing the smaller vampire by jacket of his suit with a ferocity that would have sent a normal human flying.

 

“Let. Me. In. There.”  Jaebum spoke through gritted teeth, the intensity of his glare doing nothing to hide the pleading behind his eyes.

 

“You know I can’t do that. You put three holes in the wall already.”

 

“ _ I will put four,”  _ Jaebum growled low and dangerous in the back of his throat as he clung to Jackson so hard his knuckles were tinged white. Jackson merely huffed in frustration, detangling himself from Jaebum’s hold and stepping back to adjust clothes.

 

“Look, I know you’re all worried. I am too. I came out here to update you on what we know so far. The intel we’ve gathered from Yongguk’s phone has helped us a great deal as far as their business practices and how they’re running money and supplies in and out of the city. We’re still trying to pinpoint an exact location of the base coven but through GPS signals we’ve managed to run through the cellphone towers we’ve got the general area narrowed down. As it is my men are taking all the necessary steps to plan a coup if we have to but these things take time, especially if they are to be done quietly and without blowback from the other covens in the surrounding areas. The elders will give us the word when we are ready to proceed.”

“What about Mark and Jinyoung?” Yugyeom finally spoke, voicing the question at the forefront of all of their minds. Jackson’s eyes flickered carefully to Jaebum’s, knowing his next words may not be exactly what his friend wanted to hear. 

 

“We still don’t know exactly where they are being held. It’s a safe bet they are somewhere within the the main base of operations, if so we will get them out. No matter what, when we get in there we will do whatever it takes to find them, we just have to hope nothing happens to them until then…”

 

Jackson flinched minutely as one of the lounge chairs went flying past his head, shattering against the wall and snapping the tension in the room. Bambam leapt half in Yugyeom’s lap, neither of the two boys expecting to experience an in person look at Jaebum’s wrath.  The vampire was practically shaking with anger, his hair thin resolve finally cracking under the weight of his frustration. 

 

“It’s not enough, Jackson...you know it isn’t. If Daehyun already has them we have to move now. There’s no time! I can’t….I have to  _ do something. _ ”  Jackson seemed to be expecting this reaction, eyes laced with empathy as he took his friend by the shoulders and tried to calm him down. Jaebum looked at him despondently, his anger fighting a constant battle with a sadness that had long started creeping through his mind until he felt nearly sick with it.

 

“I don’t know what else we  _ can _ do. My hands are tied. I’ve tried tracking down Taemin to see if there was any way we could strike some kind of a deal but no one’s heard from him in weeks.” 

 

The leader of the NCT coven had taken a trip to Greece on business not long after Daehyun had been spotted in town. The fact that he’d fallen completely off the radar coupled with the timing of the attacks in the city was suspect at best. Jaebum and Jackson both were smart enough to piece together that this wasn’t just a coincidence.

 

Suddenly Jaebum’s phone buzzed to life, cutting through the momentary silence like a scythe. He removed it from his pocket and scanned the caller ID. It was a number he didn’t recognize; but still as he answered the call he felt an uneasy knot of dread settle at the bottom of his stomach.   

“Hello?” 

 

Jaebum felt the blood in his veins run cold as a lithe voice drifted over the line. A voice he never wanted to hear again. A voice that sometimes sprung to life in depths of his own nightmares.

 

“ _ Hello ‘father’. Are you surprised? It’s been a long time.” _

 

_ \------- _

 

Mark blinked rapidly as he tried to readjust his vision, pain jolting through his head from both sides -- from hitting the cold concrete and where the vampire had connected it’s fist with a finely tuned strength.  Behind what he was sure was a fresh concussion he couldn’t help but admire the irony. He had finally recovered physically only to be beaten with renewed vigor by the very same vampire that had attacked him the first time only days ago.

 

"There's no one here to stop me from tearing you apart now, is there you mouthy little shit." 

 

Mark struggled silently with the ties that bound his wrists behind his back as the vampire crouched down to loom over him, silver hair glinting in the dingy low light from above, framing his sharp features and glowing red eyes in a menacing picture as he admired the damage he had done. Fangs extended in a pleased chuckle as Mark was grabbed by the neck and yanked into a sitting position, pressed up against the back wall and jostling the leg the vampire had broken only moments earlier. Mark winced outwardly but tried to make as little noise as possible. He wouldn’t give the vampire the satisfaction if he could help it.

 

He had no idea where exactly they were being held. They had been moved immediately from the bar, bags over their heads, into some kind of underground bunker. The vampires had arrived not long after sunset under the guise of “questioning” Mark and Jinyoung about their motives. It was windowless, damp, and smelled vaguely like the dried blood that was still smeared across the walls. He could only imagine what kind of vile practices went on in a place like this, a vast contrast to clean, precise, and almost welcoming underbelly of the vampires in Seoul. He could only hope against hope that his final moments wouldn’t be spent in a place like this. But with everything he knew to be true about the Busan vampires coming to light, he was going to need a miracle.

 

“Jaehyun my love, if you kill that one before Daehyun even gets a chance you know there will be hell to pay,” The silver haired vampire (Taeyong, Mark had learned in passing from an earlier exchange) turned to address his ever present counterpart, the boyish looking dimpled vampire that had stood by silently that night in the alley. Jinyoung moaned weakly in pain as the vampire detached itself from where he had been tearing into his throat, drinking his fill.

 

“I was starving. There’s plenty left. This blood bag is quite strong.” Jaehyun shrugged, leaving Jinyoung to bleed out slowly as he slumped into the corner. He made his way over to Taeyong, running a hand lightly through the other vampire’s hair. In any other situation where these weren’t murderous, sadist vampires the gesture might have even seemed sweet. “You should feed as well. It’s been days…”

 

Taeyong hummed in agreement, twisting his hold on Mark’s neck to bend him to the side, exposing the arteries pumping wildly under his skin. Mark could feel his every nerve prickle with the instinct to fight back; gritting his teeth as a wave of nausea started to roll around inside him, like the very blood in his veins wanted to revolt against the intrusion. As quickly as he felt the sharp sting of fangs pierce through his skin he felt the vampire jump in surprise, sputtering through the blood that had hit his lips like he’d been shocked by an electric fence. Mark used the momentary distraction to swing himself forward, headbutting the vampire and knocking him off his axis. He brought his good leg up from underneath himself and delivered one swift kick to Taeyong’s sternum, sending him to the ground with a momentum he probably wouldn’t have been able to manage had the vampire not been choking on the very blood he’d tried to take.

 

Jaehyun surged forward, eyes wild with a look like he wanted to tear Mark’s throat out; which he might have managed had he not frozen the second he gripped Mark’s collar, head snapping towards the front of the room as an eerie laughter floated in from the doorway.

 

“They never know when to give up, do they? It’s a good thing. They’re more fun to break when they fight back,” The vampire looming in the doorway sauntered into the light; an air of casual, effortless authority filling the room causing the two underling vampires to bow lowly. Taeyong recovered slow, lifting himself to his feet with Jaehyun’s help and spitting the excess of Mark’s blood along the floor in disgust as he spoke.

 

“Daehyun, sir, I think this one’s been tainted somehow. There’s a magic in his blood I don’t recognize. He can’t be a sorcerer or we’d all be dead by now but still, it’s suspicious.”

 

_ Daehyun _ . Mark’s breath caught in his throat as the vampire regarded him carefully. He looked to be no older than Mark when he was turned, pieced together with a dark allure that made him attractive; black hair, full lips, and piercing red eyes underlined with the centuries of a deranged evil lying just below the surface. A illusion of a nightmare come to life. 

 

Mark tried to tamper down the fear bubbling inside him as Daehyun approached, not wanting to lead on that he knew of the vampire’s reputation. He’d only taken a few steps before his attention was drawn to Jinyoung groaning and trying to stand, making to move himself to obstruct the path Daehyun was making towards Mark. The vampire chuckled darkly, taking in Jinyoung’s blood soaked appearance before flitting in front of him, kicking his feet out from under him and sending the man onto his back. 

 

“Park Jinyoung…” Daehyun scoffed with a menacing recognition. “Still alive? How fortunate that you’ve found your way back to me. When I’m done tearing the limbs off your pretty little friend I can finish the job I started years ago with your team…”

 

Jinyoung growled with fury and tried in vain to propel himself at Daehyun, only to be sent back to the ground with the crack of Daehyun’s boot to his face, knocking him out cold. Mark finally found his voice, yelling for the vampire to stop and startling in surprise as Daehyun appeared in front of him, face inches from his own and eyes blown wide with a sinister playfulness that had Mark fighting the urge to recoil into the wall behind him. 

 

“So eager to die, are we? But we haven’t even begun yet. Now...let’s see what kind of magic we’re really dealing with.”

 

Mark barely had a second to blink before the vampire grabbed him roughly and bit into his neck. Pain surged through him like a wildfire, quick and fast through his body before it centralized towards the bite in his defense, causing Daehyun rip his head away with a maniacal laughter. Blood dripped from his fangs as it stained his lips, a garish sight making him look like a rabid bloodthirsty dog as Mark fought to catch his breath. Wiping the remnants from his face he stood, speaking back towards the younger vampires as he kept his eyes trained on the boy before him.

 

“He’s been bonded. It’s a rare magic I’ve seen only a handful of times. When a human has a blood bond with a vampire it makes it near impossible for another vampire to feed off it. A disgusting display of territory marking.” Daehyun crouched in front of Mark again took him by the chin. He reached into his boot and pulled out a small dagger; a worn steel handle with sharp edges as bright as white light and runes of a long dead language carved delicately into the sides. The vampire looked at him with a terrible knowing that made Mark’s heart clench with alarm. Daehyun moved to place it along the column of the boy's neck, applying a careful pressure. His voice barely above a whisper and yet it sent a chill rattling deep into Mark’s bones. “It won’t stop me from killing you though, will it? But all in good time. And do you want to know something else, pretty one? I think I know exactly who you belong to. Now be good and keep your mouth shut. I have a phone call to make.”

 

Time felt like it was slowing to a stop as Mark watched Daehyun remove a phone from his pocket. He dialed quickly and placed the phone to his ear. The voice that filtered through the earpiece made Mark bite his lip with a whimper. He felt like he'd been caught in a spider’s web he might never get out of alive, but just hearing Jaebum’s voice gave him the tiniest sliver of hope. At least he’d get to hear him one last time.

 

“Hello ‘father’. Are you surprised? It’s been a long time.” Daehyun grinned as he heard Jaebum’s breath hitch over the line. “I’ll take it from your lack of warm greeting that you aren’t too pleased to hear from me. No matter, it appears we have much to discuss.”

 

-

 

Jaebum’s hands were shaking as he tried to hold the phone steady, a million different emotions flooding through him at alarming speed. He did his best to keep his voice even, almost cold. Daehyun would take any noticeable weakness and bend it to his own advantage and he already had an upper hand even if he didn’t know it. Jaebum could only pray that if Daehyun had gotten to Mark he wouldn’t be able to figure out how much the boy meant to him and how close their relationship actually was. Unfortunately luck, it seemed, was not on his side.

 

“Talk.” It was all he could manage without flying off the handle. He had to send some feelers out to see just exactly what kind of situation he was dealing with. Daehyun’s laughter lilted over the line, the same manic timber that Jaebum had walked away from many years ago.

 

_ “It appears I’ve stumbled across something that belongs to you. You should really be more careful with your things, my old friend. Especially when they taste just like you….” _

 

Jaebum let out a desolate exhale. He had Mark. Not only did he have him but he could taste Jaebum’s blood in his system. And Daehyun had lived enough years to be able to gather together what that must mean. Still Jaebum did his best to keep his tone business like in nature. It wouldn’t help him get Mark back alive if he swung first.

 

“Yes, you intercepted two of my men in the middle of a poorly executed mission I’ll admit.” Jaebum felt Jackson inch closer, prompting him to put the call on speaker. He gave a reassuring look to his friend, trying to express that he would not have to deal with this alone. “I’ve gotten the message quite clearly. I know your work, Daehyun. You’ve been in my city for weeks making a show of yourself. It’s time to end this. What is it that you want? I’m ready to talk terms.”

 

-

 

“Done playing with me already? Too bad. And here I was about to carve my name into your little pet so you’ll have something to remember me by.” Daehyun slowly pushed the knife’s edge into the base of Mark’s throat, cutting a fine line heavy enough to draw blood but light enough to not do serious damage. He couldn’t keep quiet any longer, the drag of the blade searing against his skin like a hot branding iron as he cried out into the room. He could feel the magic from the runes intensifying the small wound, keeping the ache throbbing anew like constant needles piercing the surface.

 

Mark could hear Jaebum shouting his name over the line, restraint finally broken. Daehyun cackled in pleasure, a twisted gleefulness at finally prodding his maker into the reaction he had been searching for.

 

_ “You son of a bitch! If you touch him again I swear to god I will rip the unbeating heart from your chest and feed it to you while you die slowly and in the most painful way possible. You will get nothing if he is not returned to me ALIVE.” _

 

“There he is! That’s the rage of my once great creator.” Daehyun was alight with euphoria as he spoke. “You can try to play the facade of the kindly successful business vampire but I know you, Jaebum. I know what you’re capable of.”

 

“ _ Enough….you’ve made your point. What do you want from me?”   _ Mark could hear Jaebum’s voice cooling from rage to an exhausted resignation. 

 

“You know exactly what I want. I want Seoul. And you’re going to give it to me. Draw up the necessary papers to allow us to conduct business there, let us have a stake in the trade. Do whatever you have to to convince the elders to make it happen. Then you can have your pet back. I’ll even throw in the cop as well. It’ll be much more fun for me if he’s alive to live with what I’ve done to him. You have until tomorrow at midnight. Meet me in the warehouse where you left me all those years ago and we can finally settle this face to face.”

 

_ “Let me speak to him.” _

 

Daehyun brought the knife down to hang at his side as he adjusted the phone and pressed it to Mark’s ear. Mark eyed the vampire warily, the catlike grin exposing the whites of his fangs doing nothing to comfort the tremors of his nerves.

 

“Jae?”

 

_ “...oh god are you ok?? My love I am so, so sorry. I will never forgive myself for letting him hurt you. I am going to get you out of there safe, I promise. Please just be strong a little longer. I will never let anything happen to you ever again. I promise, I promise just please…” _

 

Mark could hear the trembling in Jaebum’s voice and felt the air being pulled from his lungs like a vacuum. He wanted nothing more than to be able to reach through the phone, hold him tight and never let go. He knew in the back of his mind that there was no way this story would play out with a happy ending. Mark knew Daehyun couldn’t possibly be a vampire of his word. And if he couldn’t get out alive he wouldn’t let Jaebum sacrifice everything he’d built on his account. He was merely collateral damage, a solitary prostitute that was barely a blip on the world's radar. His life was meaningless in the grand scheme of things, and perhaps this was payback for all of his many mistakes. It was foolish to think he could get away from his own demons and what he was deep down. Nothing…

 

“Listen to me Jae. No matter what happens to me, you can’t let him win. You can’t give him what he wants. He won’t stop until you’re all dead. You know that.” He was spitting out words on the verge of hysteria but he didn’t know how much time he had left to say what he needed to say. What he had been trying to sort out ever since he’d met the vampire that had turned his whole life upside down. “Don’t worry about me, you can’t. It’s my fault I ended up here - I shouldn’t have….look, if this ends here I just need you to know that...I love you…”

 

No sooner had the words left his lips then the tip of dagger was brought swiftly into his side, a shallow blow, but deep enough to make a point. Mark screamed as he doubled over in pain, Daehyun twisting the handle ever so slightly as he took the phone back, the litany of curses and threats from the other end of the line like music to his ears.

 

“Isn’t that romantic? I might cry.” He removed the knife from Mark’s body to place a mocking hand over his heart, a bloody display of sarcasm. “Midnight. Tomorrow. Or he dies…” 

 

Hanging up the line and giving a dramatic wave of his arms, he grabbed the base of Mark’s shirt and used it to clean the blood off the dagger before securing it back in his boot. Mark bit back the agony of the wound that wouldn’t abate, the pain blistering through him as if the blade was still resting inside, twisting and twisting until he felt like he might black out. Daehyun just took in the suffering on Mark’s face like a child at Christmas, delivering one final sentiment before he left the room.

 

“Do you want to know a secret, loverboy? You want to know why it hurts so bad? The blade was embedded with a dark magic. The runes causing the victim a very slow and painful death as the poison in the edges enters their body and eats them alive. You were right, you know? I am untrustworthy. But before I put an end to my maker once and for all I am going to delight in the look on his face when I hand him your corpse. Sweet dreams.”

 

The door slammed shut behind him and Mark finally let his eyes flutter closed, taking no satisfaction in the fact that he’d been right all along. 

 

\------

 

BamBam and Yugyeom had long since retreated into Youngjae’s office, numb with shock from the exchange and fleeing from the brunt of Jaebum’s tirade. Jackson was doing his best to stop his friend from tearing apart the entire building, trying to talk him down with reassurance that they would be ready to put an end to Busan vampires the following night. 

 

Youngjae was silent as the boys recounted to him everything Daehyun and Jaebum had discussed, the plan for the exchange and Mark’s chilling screams through the phone that had them on the verge of tears with the unknown feeling of what would become of their companions. Youngjae sighed heavily when they finished, standing with resolve and looking at the younger boys with his mind made up and a strength emanating around his smaller frame that surprised even himself.

  
“We can’t just keep sitting around here and waiting for the vampires to do all the dirty work. We have an advantage. Daylight. And if what I know to be true about Daehyun still stands, they won’t make it to sunset. We have to get them out ourselves. We have to move.  _ Now.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> daehyun is quite the turd isn't he? but fun to write a character that deranged. 
> 
> next time on nocturne: the children stage a rescue mission. will they get there in time? is jinyoung's face ok? can youngjae even handle a gun? stay tuned.
> 
> please please leave me some comments if you like. even if it's just to yell at me for making you wait so long. i love feedback. helps me figure out what to fix and what's working.


	11. Resistance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hello it's me again, back with an extremely long overdue update. I have no excuse except I'm lazy and terrible. I hope you'll forgive me. Thank you to everyone who sent me amazing comments and kept me going while looking forward to the next installment. Sorry again for making you wait so long. I promise I will finish this. There's not even that much more to go really. But I hope you like this chapter nonetheless.
> 
> The only note I have is that the first bit in italics is a flashback sequence. Also I proofread this a total of once so bare with me if there's some errors. Enjoy!

_ Jinyoung’s vision blurs in and out of focus, a kaleidoscope of images trying to right themselves behind the rapid blinking of his eyelids. He inhales the heavy ashen scent of smoke as he tries to will his limbs to bring himself upright. His cracked ribs scream in protest and the blood running thickly from the fresh gash outlining his torso keep him from getting more than a few centimeters from where he’s been thrown to the ground.  _

 

_ He doesn’t so much see the fire spreading around him as he feels it. The heat increasing and pressing in from all sides creating a smothering haze. The support beams holding the foundation of the warehouse together start to creak under the relentless attack of the flames. He knows it’s only a matter of time before the structure caves around him. _

 

_ They should have never come here. He should have seen the vampire’s trap coming from miles away but he’d been reckless. Desperate to prove himself as captain of his team and stop the maniacal vampires terrorizing the city from taking any more lives. But in the end he’d only added to their tally. He’d watched his own team be torn apart in front of him. Now he too would join them, doomed to die in a fire of his own making before he could burnout in the misery of his guilt. _

 

_ “Daehyun! That’s enough. Put him down.” A strong voice cuts through air and shakes Jinyoung from his thoughts. He lifts his head as far as he can muster to take in the scene unfolding in front of him. A small surge of adrenaline pulls him up to his elbows as he sees his partner, Hyunwoo, still alive and locked helplessly in the vampire’s hold. It was a testament to the power imbalance between the species that even a human as strong and as skilled as Jinyoung’s best friend was defenseless against Daehyun’s will. Through the quickly gathering smoke Jinyoung could see the new vampire that had spoken stride forward with purpose, the air crackling around him from the tension of their impending stand off. Daehyun’s minions stood in frozen silence, eyes trained on the intruder and poised ready for any word from their leader to attack. Jinyoung recognized his face immediately and wracked his fading brain trying to tie together the information. Im Jaebum, the newly anointed heir to the Im Corp coven. What connection could the pinnacle of vampire morality possibly have to the savage killer running rampant through his city. _

 

_ “Ah the prodigal father returns. I was wondering when you’d finally show your face.” Daehyun sneered with deranged pleasure. “Come. Share this kill with me. For old time’s sake.”  _

 

_ “The elders are awake, Daehyun. Did you really think you could continue this game in their city without any kind of repercussion? As your maker I command you to stop this. Enough is enough.” _

 

Maker? _ Jinyoung’s mind reeled with the revelation laid out in front of him. Suddenly the puzzle started to piece itself together.  _

 

_ “Command me? Please….you haven’t had any power over me in years. You saw to that when you broke the bond. I had hoped you might come to your senses eventually but it seems you are as weak and pitiful as ever. Let the elders try and stop me. It’s already too late.”  _

 

_ With his final words the grip Daehyun held around Hyunwoo’s throat tightened. Jinyoung felt his stomach lurch with helpless dread as he looked on in horror, the movement over in a blink of an eye as the vampire twisted his neck, cracking Hyunwoo’s spine in two. _

 

_ Jinyoung’s scream tears from lungs and rings through the crumbling warehouse, snapping the vampires attention to the spot where he lay. Jaebum froze from where he’d lunged at Daehyun, the younger vampire using the momentary distraction to connect a blow to his maker’s head. Jaebum righted himself almost immediately and made to counter when the fire finally became too much for the weathered building to take. A large section of the support beam dropped from the ceiling above them, sparking the ground with a wall of flames and debris. The obstruction blocked Jaebum’s path just enough to give Daehyun space to retreat, the ghost of his laughter floating through the air as he motioned to his remaining underlings to follow him out the side doors. _

 

_ Jinyoung felt his head drop heavily back to the ground, any remaining energy he had left to fight leaving him the second he watched his partner’s lifeless body collapse. He could only hope he would follow soon. It was what he deserved. As he blinks back the sting of tears in his eyes and coughs through the growing rain of ashes, he sees Jaebum still standing in the center of the room, the flashes of a split second decision flitting across his face. He watches the vampire’s sight flick back and forth between his crumpled form and the door Daehyun had fled through merely a second ago. Jinyoung’s vision darkens slowly as he finally feels his eyes drift closed. The last thing he remembers is a pair of strong arms lifting him up off the ground and the cool night air hitting his face before the last of his consciousness fades to black.   _

 

\---

 

The same nightmare that had woken Jinyoung up on many restless nights plays behind his eyes once more as his consciousness slowly awakens. Seven long years had passed since he’d lost everything. The guilt he still carried burning inside him as bright as the fire that nearly consumed him that night. He would never be able to forgive Jaebum for many things; for creating a creature so vile and letting it tear apart the city he loved and the people that meant the most to him. But above all he couldn’t forgive Jaebum for saving his life. Jinyoung had picked up the broken pieces of himself and tried to carry on, taking his second chance and making the most of what he could. Protecting the people who couldn’t protect themselves from the evil that passed in the dark. And yet still he couldn’t let go of the of that voice that settled itself in the deepest corner of his mind.  _ You should have died with them. It was your fault. Why is it that you get to live on while the rest of them lay under the ground.  _ And now it seemed history was doomed to repeat itself.  Unless he could do his part this time to stop it...

 

The room slowly drifted into focus as Jinyoung tried to gather his bearings. His head swam lethargically from the blood loss of the bite and he could feel the swelling starting to form from the blow to his face just above his left eye. The only bit of good news was that all the jostling had caused the ties around his wrists to loosen just enough that he could get a good grip on the knot beneath his fingers. After a few short moments of picking it apart he freed his hands and pulled himself up off the ground. He’d have to thank whatever god there was that the goons who had tied him hadn’t been any kind of boy scout in their youth.

 

A soft sound of pain emitting from the back wall snapped him to attention.  _ Mark…. _ Jinyoung scrambled over to the form huddled against the cold floor, ignoring the spinning of vertigo setting him off balance at the sudden movement across the room. He made quick work of Mark’s bindings, removing the ties and gathering the smaller boy into his arms and trying to assess the damage. 

 

Mark’s injuries were worse than Jinyoung’s by miles. He was drifting in and out of consciousness, broken leg laid out uselessly under him. Multiple bite marks along his neck stained with drying blood standing out like a crimson tattoo along his skin. His face was sallow under the forming bruises, like the life was being sucked slowly out of him with every passing moment. The alarms in Jinyoung’s head grew from a niggling and began to swell into a full blown panic. What the hell had happened when he’d been knocked out? How could Mark’s condition have gotten this bad in such a short period of time? 

 

The boy in his arms shifted slightly, groaning as he reached across to clutch at his side. That’s when Jinyoung finally saw the wound from Daehyun’s dagger resting inches above Mark’s hip. He recognized the magical presence almost immediately, the laceration tinged in a faint green in a discoloration making it look almost cauterized. There was fresh blood trickling from the wound, the poison working its way deep into the body causing the skin around it to fan out in angry strips of black darkening the veins as it worked through his system. Jinyoung hastily removed his jacket, wrapping it tightly around Mark’s waist and tying it off to try and stop the bleeding. He tried desperately to steady his breathing, not knowing what else he could possibly do to try and save his life.  If Mark had indeed been poisoned then Jinyoung was holding a ticking time bomb in his hands.

 

“You shouldn’t even be here.” Jinyoung spoke quietly as he pushed Mark’s hair back from his eyes, trying to calm the tremors of his own fingers as the desperation of their situation began to sink in. “I tried to tell you this wouldn’t end well. You fucking fool. Are you ready to die for him? For a goddamn vampire? Well I won’t let you…..I will not let you die like this. Like them…..” 

 

_ Like my team. Like my Hyunwoo _ . Jinyoung reached up to wipe at his eyes, catching the errant tears that were threatening to spill over. He couldn’t fall apart. Not now. Not yet.

 

Jinyoung tensed as he heard a loud bang coming from the far end of the hallway outside followed by the growing sound of footsteps clattering along the corridor. They grew louder and louder until they stopped just outside the door to their cell. Hushed whispers between what sounded like multiple men spurred him to move. He set Mark down lightly against the floor as he stood between the entrance and the boy’s waning body. He may not have much strength left on his own but he would fight. This time he wouldn’t just lay down to die.

 

He clenched his hands into fists as he heard the men outside begin to fumble with the lock. Moving closer to the entrance standing just out of sight, he pressed himself against the wall to the left of the door. He caught a string of curses in a language he didn’t recognize as the door handle jiggled, fighting the urge to roll his eyes at the incompetency of the lackeys on the other end as they struggled to get the door open. Eventually he heard the telltale clicking of the lock, bracing himself as the flood of white light spilled into the room. The first man had barely crossed the threshold before Jinyoung struck. He flung himself off the wall and grappled the intruder, locking his arms around the man’s head and applying the proper pressure to his throat with the crook of his elbow. The other two men rushed into the room, but to Jinyoung’s surprise they made no move to attack him. Instead they just grabbed blindly at his arms in an attempt to pry their suffocating friend from his grasp.

 

“Jinyoung!  _ Jinyoung!!  _ Let him go. It’s us.” A familiar tone filled his ears as his eyes finally began to adjust to the lighting. He released his hold almost immediately and the boy in his arms slumped to the ground, sputtering wildly to regain the airflow into his lungs. Relief flooded into him like a tidal wave as the faces of Yugyeom and Youngjae came into focus.

 

“Jesus christ we came to rescue you and you nearly choke me to death! Is this the thanks we get??” BamBam squawked as Jinyoung scooped him up off the floor and into his arms, never having been more grateful to see his gangly counterpart. 

 

“How the hell did you guys find us?”

 

“We used the information we recovered from Yongguk’s phone to pinpoint the general location. Then it just took a little prodding once we paid a visit to the supplier that turned on us…” Yugyeom smirked.

 

“If by prodding you mean dangling him off an overpass then knocking him unconscious and throwing him into the ocean.” Youngjae interjected, looking vaguely queasy at the recollection.

 

“It’s the least we could repay him for almost getting us all killed.” BamBam shot back. “It’s lucky we got to you in time. It’s still daylight outside but we have to get you out quickly before the vampires wake up. Where’s Mark?”

 

The trio followed Jinyoung’s eyes as he tilted his head in Mark’s direction. Yugyeom was the first to move, running over and dropping to the ground beside the crumpled form of his friend.

 

“What  _ happened?”  _  The words caught in Yugyeom’s throat with distress. “Mark…..god, I-I’m here….we’re here. We’re getting you out of this place.”

 

Mark’s eyes blinked open with a heavy effort at the sound of Yugyeom’s voice. His pupil’s glazed and bleary, he tried his best to focus on the younger boy’s face. 

 

“Yug….Am I dreaming again?” Mark’s head lolled sideways as he lost the short battle to stay lucid, slipping back under the poison’s hold before Yugyeom could even answer. Youngjae was hovering over them in an instant, pulling a small metal box out of his jacket pocket and filtering through the contents as Jinyoung tried to explain.

 

“I think he’s been poisoned. I was knocked out for a majority of the confrontation so I’m not even sure what we’re dealing with here but when I woke up he was in a terrible state. The wound in his side it- it looks like it was laced with some kind of magic.”

 

Youngjae removed a tiny vial from the box, the light blue liquid glowing brightly in the dim hovel of the room. He made quick work of uncapping it and tilting Mark’s head just enough the pour the contents down his throat, emptying the container and tucking the metal box back into his jacket. 

 

“I’ve seen a similar type of poison before. It’s a base and crude form of torture but it get’s the job done. What I’ve given him should stave it off for a while. But not long. We have to get him back to Seoul as fast as possible. Yugyeom can you carry him? We don’t have long. We need to go.  _ Now. _ ” Youngjae motioned and the younger man obeyed, lifting their fallen friend into his arms and cradling him close to his body. “Oh….Jinyoung. Here, you can probably make better use of this than I can.”

 

Youngjae pulled a sleek black handgun from where it was holstered at his side, handing it over to Jinyoung as they made their way out of the basement cell. Jinyoung immediately felt more secure the second he gripped the weapon in his hand, though he silently prayed he wouldn’t have to use it.  BamBam drew his own gun and led them quickly down the hall, Yugyeom with Mark in his arms and Youngjae following with Jinyoung bringing up the rear.  As they turned the first corner Jinyoung stepped lightly over the bodies of a few unknown guards, their unconscious forms explaining the loud noise Jinyoung had heard prior to their rescue. He couldn’t help the swell of pride that filled his chest when he thought of how far these kids had come just to get them out. How well it seemed his training of BamBam had actually started to pay off.  It appeared somehow without him even realizing it that he had managed to form a new team right in front of his eyes. Out of the depths of his own tragedy a small and eager hope had begun to bloom. 

 

They walked the dilapidated hallways of the basement level for a few more turns until BamBam led them into a stairwell and up a narrow vertical winding pathway with what seemed like endless floors. Jinyoung finally voiced his curiosity about six flights up when they had reached their destination. They stopped momentarily so Yugyeom could transfer Mark over to Youngjae and try to regain some strength in his arms. BamBam peeked ahead out of the doorway to scan the area for any oncoming guards.

 

“Where exactly are we?” Jinyoung whispered.

 

“A mid size hotel and casino just outside the center of the city. A pretty shoddily run one too if you ask me.” BamBam quipped, waving a hand for them to come closer once he was satisfied with what he saw. “Looks like we’re clear. There’s a back entrance just down the other end of this hall. We hid your car not far from the back alley. Follow me and move quickly. I don’t know how much time we’ve got before they make another sweep.”

 

“You stole my car!?” Jinyoung balked incredulously. BamBam stifled a laugh, admiring his partner’s ever present ability to pissed about the pettiest information despite the circumstances.

 

“ _ Borrowed. _ And you can thank us later when we get out of here in record speed. Now come on, we’ve gotta move.”

 

They took off quickly down the hall, making their way out the back entrance of the hotel swiftly and silently. Jinyoung had never been so thankful to feel the sun warm on his face as they made their way outside. They were finally out of that wretched place. Just a few more steps until they rounded the corner of the building…

 

Jinyoung really should have known through experience that nothing ever goes according to plan. BamBam stuttered to a halt as he and Yugyeom set foot first into the alleyway, the blunt side of a pistol connecting unceremoniously with the side of his head. Jinyoung flung into action immediately, pulling Youngjae with Mark in his arms down behind him to crouch next to the dumpster along the back of the building. The three of them hadn’t yet been seen by the unknown attackers, having not made the turn into the back street where BamBam and Yugyeom now stood. Jinyoung pressed himself up against the concrete wall as he slid as close as he could to the corner without being seen. 

 

“You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you? That you could just waltz into our place of business unnoticed?” Jinyoung recognized the deep timbre of the man’s voice through the scuffle. Yongguk. He and his men must have caught wind somehow; security cameras most likely. Jinyoung berated himself mentally at the thought. He never should have expected his escape to go without a hitch. He had to act fast before they all ended up back in the darkness of the cellar. Or worse. 

 

“Where are they? The prisoners. We know that’s what you came for. Where are your little friends?” Jinyoung made out a second man’s voice. The one he’d spoken to at the bar. If he assumed correctly Yongguk had had maybe five or six other men with him in total on their first encounter. From the sounds of the voices he could make out he could be almost certain it was around the same. They were outnumbered but it wasn’t impossible. Not with his training. 

 

He turned back to Youngjae, the younger boy was trembling heavily and gripping tight to Mark against his chest. Jinyoung placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder as he mouthed to him just above a whisper. 

 

“ _ Stay here _ . Do not leave him. No matter what.” Youngjae put on his bravest face and nodded with a steady shake of his head. Satisfied that Mark was in capable hands, Jinyoung turned back to the mouth of the alley and drew in one long breath. Now or never. 

 

He fired fast. The first lucky shots connecting with the shoulder and the kneecap of one of the men on the far side, causing him to drop to the ground. BamBam used the momentary distraction to break the arm of the man holding him, flinging him over his back and giving Yugyeom time to pull the gun from his boot and fire once into the head of the man closest to him.  _ 1, 2, 3.  _  Jinyoung dove in a blur, ducking a bullet whizzing past his head and landing a strong right hook square in the jaw of the shooter as he pressed forward, knocking a burly looking bear of a man onto his back and kicking the gun out of his hands. BamBam and Yugyeom fought tenaciously beside him, doing what they could to take down the goons on opposite ends. Jinyoung raised his gun to take deliver the final blow when a pair of strong arms wrapped around him from behind, whipping him to the side and flinging his weapon from his hands. He grunted in pain as a forearm pressed into his windpipe.

 

“You fucking cops never do know when to just lay down and die.” Yongguk growled in his ear, his tone low and dangerous. Jinyoung clutched at the arm around his throat, kicking wildly and fighting for the air that was seeping out of his lungs. He could feel the edges of his vision beginning to spot, his arms losing their strength as he swiped uselessly at Yongguk’s jacket. Terror gripped Jinyoung with an iron hand as the ability to stay conscious was fading second by second.

 

Suddenly the arm around his neck was gone and a fresh burst of oxygen rushed into his body as he’d fell forward onto his knees. Yongguk’s clipped shout of pain rang in his ears, the man collapsing in a heap beside him. A lurid head wound puddled red, fanning out onto concrete beside the gang leader’s fallen form. Jinyoung rubbed his neck as he breathed back the life into his body and looked up at his savior with gratitude.

 

Youngjae’s body quaked with adrenaline as he let the scrap metal bar drop limply out of his hands. Jinyoung looked around quickly as one final shot rang out into the air, the deafening silence that followed a reassuring weight off his shoulders. BamBam slid his recovered gun back into it’s holster and helped Jinyoung to his feet. Yugyeom returned to their sides with Mark in his arms, still in tact. Jinyoung grabbed Youngjae by the shoulders and pulled him into a crushing hug, appreciative that the boy hadn’t listened to his command to stay put. It had all happened faster than Jinyoung could blink, but he would be forever thankful that the outcome hadn’t been worse.

  
  


\----

 

Jaebum had been awake for less than 10 minutes. He had barely had time to pull the shirt over his head before Jackson flew into his bedroom, spitting out words at an increasingly rapid pace leaving Jaebum’s sleep logged brain to stumble blindly to catch up.

 

“ _ ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?  _ I just got the call. Youngjae and the others left the compound. They went all the way to fucking Busan without backup. I would kill him if I wasn’t so relieved they all made it back in one piece. They just arrived before sunset. Mark….they got him out! Can you fucking believe it? Kids these days. Full of wonder-”

 

Jaebum clamped his hand over his bodyguard’s mouth in a mixture of exasperation and shock as he tried to register what Jackson had said. Realization suddenly hit him like a brick to the head and he flew out of the room as fast as his legs would take him.  He couldn’t stop his body from buzzing with a luminant energy as he tried to take it all in. Mark…..Mark was here. They had gotten him away from Daehyun. He didn’t even realize his hands were shaking so badly until Jackson came up behind him to press the button to the elevator he’d been uselessly pawing at and pull him inside. 

 

“Have you seen him? Is he ok?” Jaebum was surprised at how calmly his own voice came to him.

 

“I don’t know. Like I said I just got notified. I know about as much as you do at this point. Youngjae sounded pretty shaken but he said they were all alive. He wouldn’t tell me much else. He just said to get you as soon as possible as get up to the hospital wing.” 

 

It was the longest elevator ride of Jaebum’s entire afterlife. His mind was racing a million miles an hour with hundreds of different scenarios all of which were worse than the last. What he had heard over the phone had kept him on the edge of sleep and plagued his entire day with nightmares of what Daehyun was capable of. But Youngjae said they had all come back alive. He had to hope that everything might be ok. Even though the tiny but rational voice in his head told him that when it came to Daehyun, nothing ever had a clean end. And when he finally opened the door to the room Mark was being held in, he damned that voice for being right. The shift in the atmosphere was almost suffocating. Jinyoung and the others were seated silently around various corners of the room, the whole scene feeling like that moment he’d seen in far off films of a family gathering to pay their last respects before the doctor ultimately pulls the plug. He made his way with heavy steps to where Youngjae was standing next to the bed, checking the monitors hooked up to the near lifeless body of the only person he had ever loved. He grasped Youngjae’s arm to keep himself from crumbling as he took in the sight before him. 

 

The last time he had seen the boy on the bed he was so full of life. Radiant and bright like his very own sun. Now the poison had wracked it’s way through his entire body, making every inch of him look frail and weak. His skin was so pale and Jaebum could see dark outlines mapping the insides of his veins trailing out in an inky patchwork like tar had been pumped inside him. Mark coughed hollowly, spilling spots of blood from his lungs onto the pillow beside him. Jaebum moved to sit beside him, taking his face in his hands like glass and looking wildly to Youngjae with a hysteria building behind his eyes.

 

“What can you do? It can’t be as bad as it looks. What happened??? There has to be  _ something???  _ Youngjae….Youngjae please…..”

 

“I’ve tried everything. Nothing’s been taking. The poison’s too far along I...I’m sorry. I’m so sorry Jae. I thought we had enough time.” Youngjae never looked as young to Jaebum as he did in that moment, the smaller boy rimmed red around the edges with exhaustion and looking at him with an expression laced with the most sincere mixture of regret and sympathy. Jaebum watched with his own oncoming storm of grief brewing as Youngjae’s expression shifted slightly, a thoughtful mask passing over his face. “Unless…..”

 

“Unless what?” Jaebum regarded him carefully. Somehow he knew what it was that the young doctor was thinking before he even said it outloud, the very same thought settling darkly in Jaebum’s own mind many times before. He’d tamped it down every time it arose with the horror he felt at himself for even considering it.

 

“You could change him. There might still be a chance…..” 

 

“I can’t do that to him Youngjae.” Jaebum’s voice cracked with sorrow. “Not without his consent. What if doesn’t work? What if it  _ does work _ and he hates me forever for it. What if he turns out like…”

 

Another series of fitful coughs shook Mark from where he lay cradled in Jaebum’s hold, shifting the vampire’s attention to the boy who was now battling to open his eyes. Jaebum moved closer, stifling the small noise clawing at the back of his throat. He watched Mark struggle to lift his hand and place it atop of Jaebum’s where it rested against his cheek. He tilted his head to the touch and breathed in careful steps, taking a minute to find his voice. 

 

“Do it, Jae. Please.” He spoke so softly that Jaebum had never been more grateful for his enhanced hearing. Mark looked up at him then so lovingly and so fragile that Jaebum wanted to tear himself apart piece by piece just so that this boy would never have to feel an ounce of pain ever again. “I love you….I can’t die like this. I don’t want to be without you. You have to try.”

 

The tears that were threatening to spill finally trickled down Jaebum’s face, a garish picture of longing as the blood fell from his eyes. Mark’s own fluttered closed as the last of his strength finally left him, and Jaebum knew he had no other choice. He couldn’t let their story end like this before it had even had a chance to be written. Jaebum knew what he would be risking if this were to work, but he had to try. He had to attempt to save Mark’s life one last time. Only this time by taking it from him with his own hands.

 

Carefully he leaned forward into the juncture of Mark’s neck and let his fangs extend. He sent a silent prayer to whoever would even listen, and bit down….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhh cliffhanger lol. will Jaebum's bite work? what will happen to Mark if it does? or if it doesn't? will I update this in the next 6 months? stay tuned.
> 
> please leave me some comments and let me know if it was alright! this clocked at almost 5k which is probably the longest damn chapter I've written so far I think.


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